The Mr. Glass Experience

It is no secret that I love Hip-Hop music. I am what you would call a “Hip-Hop Head” and as a Hip-Hop Head, I pride myself on listening to the real Hip-Hop music, not just commercial ish. To me there is no truer incarnation of what the Hip-Hop culture is all about then independent rappers. There is something about a little known, or independent-label signed emcee that just attracts me to their music. I think it has something to do with the real and unique sounds these types of artists always produce. It is almost as if I am an addict and a good indie rap album is my fix. Recently I got my fix from an awesome indie west-coast artist with his roots in the battle rap scene. Nocando (pronounced No-Can-Do) is an underground, indie rapper known for his fame with, and a member of the group Customer Service. Earlier this month Nocando released his highly anticipated solo debut on alpha Pup Records entitled Jimmy the Lock.

Immediately when you press play on the album, the first thing that catches your attention is Nocando takes his art serious. He jumps right into the music, skipping all the boring drawn out  intros that too many other artists fall victim to. On tracks like Head Static and 21, Nocando does a brilliant job of integrating his hard-hitting one-liners, into witty lyrics and gritty hooks. The album’s first single Hurry up and Wait provides you with a glimpse into Nocando’s self-confident style and work ethic, “we work like a fixed-gear bike, no brakes,” and “if I’m not the future of the West, than the West has no future!” His flow is spring loaded, mostly slow and smooth, with occasional emphatic pronunciations and rapid-fire rhymes.

The whole album is only twelve tracks deep, but I dare you to find a bad one. Jimmy the Lock shows you why he has had such success in the underground L.A. scene. Complete with features from fellow battle rap famed emcees like Busdriver, it only adds to the albums feel. A mixed bag of serious tracks with some hilarious little songs (like DSD2 Featuring Iron Mike Eagle), the entire album is like a well-written resume, highlighting his vast array of rhyming talents. The album is a perfect mix of drama, relationships, groupies, parties, alcohol, and serious rhyming ability. Jimmy the Lock is a warning to the world that this guy is not just some YouTube sensation, he’s got talent; or as he says, “I’m a bayonet, that’s a gun and a knife, your should run for your life!”

While the recent trend in rap is to shy away of the gangsta feel of hardcore rap to a more hipster feel, Nocando does an excellent job of showing that you can make hardcore, raw, real rap music that does not have to be about shooting off guns or selling crack. “Fuck a punch line, my bloodlines got PHD’s,” Nocando has a certain tone to his lines that can make you feel like you are listening to a street genius on the microphone. He is a prime example of why indie rap stands out above all other facets of the genre, for its pure originality, creativity, and range of sounds. Like a soundtrack to a kick ass day, Jimmy the Lock is an album that any true Hip-Hop head needs to add to their collection. Personally, I can’t wait to see what other projects this guy comes out with over his career. Nocando has certainly proved that unlike his name suggests he sure can make some damn good music! Its certain to make your head nod, and even have do a couple “did he really just say that shit!?”

While your at it check out the visually stunning video for the single Two Track Mind featuring Busdriver

To mark my first album review in over a year I decided to do it on something special that you probably haven’t heard yet. Recently while checking out one of my favorite record labels site (Rhymesayers Entertainment) I stumbled across their new signee, a New York based rapper (by way of Chicago, Colorado and Seattle) named Grieves. Being that I usually love every artist on the label (Brother Ali, Felt, Jake One & Freeway, etc.) I decided to Google the dood and check him out. What I found was an artist who grabbed my attention immediately.

As his bio says, you won’t find any of Hip-Hops stereotypes in this artist, either mainstream or underground. His musical style is truly unique and once I started playing his new track “Smile For the Blade” I knew I had found something truly great. His 2008 album 88 Keys & Counting, which was originally released by Black Clover Records is being re-issued by Rhymesayers, think of it as a chance to become acquainted.

88 Keys & Counting is a miraculous mix of piano, horns, drums, heartfelt lyrics and a unique style that can only be described as truly original soulful Hip-Hop. Grieves ultra real, soul hitting lyrical flow lace the beautifully produced tracks (by Seattle based producer Budo) perfectly. Reminiscent of the old days of Hip-Hop, when a producer and rapper were a true duo, not just a random pairing, Grieves and Budos’ ability to match the perfect beat and lyrics is nothing short of wonderful. The soft but funky beats draw you in as Grieves proceeds to paint a vivid picture through his lyrics. Walking you through a mix of topics from religion, to success, individuality, to romance, heartbreak, to death, the state of hip-hop and life in general, the album takes you on a clever and mind-grasping trip through what is the human experience. From the opening track of the album, the feel of Grieves smooth flowing voice hooks you as he welcomes you to the LP.

Budos’ sample less, silky beats set the tone, and Grieves dives right in. His rhymes dancing across the tracks like a beautiful marionette. The album creates an intensely intimate feel. However, it’s accomplished without putting you into a depressed state. The duo has found a way to express their art in an appropriate tone devoid of the depressed emotionality that usually accompanies such  works, a rare talent I must say. Tracks like Catapult, Kings and the remarkable Genevieve open you up, brining you on a ride of true musical genius. An incredible mix of metaphors and storytelling, that rivals the best of them, touches on deep subjects without coming right out and slapping you in the face. The album plays like a beautiful crafted stage play, flowing marvelously from one song to the next. Moreover, while the majority of the album is on a truly personal level, it’s not all serious. On tracks like the appropriately named Identity Cards (Featuring Luckyiam) and Greedy Bitch (a breakup song for the ages), he touches on two popular topics in music (Individualism and Heartbreak) in a slightly more upbeat tone. Toss in some perfectly placed instrumental tracks, and the album truly reveals itself as a piece of fine art. To get the true feel for the majesty that is 88 Keys and Counting you have to go on the entire 47-minute journey. From Intro, to Exiting the Hive, it will awaken you to the talent these two have, which is simply creating beautiful music.

Not since Blu & Exiles’ Below the Heavens and Brother Ali’s The Undisputed Truth have I experienced an album that has grabbed me the way 88 Keys & Counting has. There is something powerful about a CD that gives you goose bumps from while you’re listening to it. In my humble opinion I think Grieves and Budo album is probably one of the most original and unique masterpieces of modern Hip-Hop music. It is the splendor of listening to music like this, which makes me fall in love with Hip-Hop all over again! If you love true Hip-Hop, which is really all about originality and an ability to paint a picture through music, then you have to get this album. I am proud to say I have already pre-ordered my copy from Fifth Element (Rhymesayers Official Store). So here’s to you Grieves, can’t wait to hear what you come up with next!

Grieves on Facebook

Get Grieves first album Irreversible on iTunes now

The movie Sugar is about a young Dominican baseball player, Miguel “Sugar” Santos, and his struggles as he tries to reach his dream of making it to the majors, and becoming a superstar. It takes you on a journey through all of his difficulties in his first season before he ultimately breaks down. His immediate success in the minors slowly turns into frustration and failure. The main conflict in the movie seems to be the multitude of struggles a young baseball player has to overcome. Conversely, even the system created by the pro baseball industry that forces players to go through these hypothetical hoops. When you take a deeper look at the film, you realize the real conflict in this story is not of man versus the system, or even man versus self, it is that of man versus man, Sugar Santos versus the real antagonist, Salvador Torres.

Conflict between the two players’ starts early on in the movie, off the field. In the beginning of the movie Salvador Torres, signs for $115,000 to the Kansas City Knight’s baseball academy. We learn that Sugar Santos signed for only $15,000 two years earlier. When Torres tells Santos about his newly signed deal, he also asks him how much he had signed for.. You can see the look of jealousy on Santos’s face as he lies and says, “You know, about the same” (Sugar 14:48). This is the first form of competition presented between the two is that of trying to earn the most money, and Santos is failing. The fact that he signed for so much less bothers Santos immensely, driving him to work on becoming the better pitcher. When they both receive invites to Kansas City’s Spring Training, Santos outshines his competition. His newly discovered knuckle curve earns him a spot on the Single-A team in Bridgetown, Iowa. While Torres has to start out his season on the Rookie league team, in Arizona. Santos is succeeding, using the competition Torres represents as fuel. He is surprising the organization, and earning a standing as a rising star. At this point in the movie, it seems that Santos is going to wind up being the better player of the two.

When Salvador Torres earns a promotion to Single-A halfway through the season, the contest between the two takes on an elevated role. The team immediately accepts Torres as one of them. While Santos achieved quick success, he was never able to earn approval from his teammates. “You could learn a thing or two from him,” the manager says when talking about Torres, further showing Santos’s growing alienation (Sugar 1:08:14). This scene shows the difference in the levels of acceptance the two have achieved. Where back in the Dominican Republic Santos was the funny teammate and Torres was the quiet new person, their roles have reversed in this new land. Santos continues to struggle with this, questioning why his teammates have not accepted him, as well as his declining role on the team. He has become the outcast of the group. Because of this Santos’s resentment towards Torres grows. The looks and stares he gives show the jealousy building up inside of him. This resentment combined with the injury Santos is just recovering from, build on his growing frustrations. The conflict between the two is getting the best of Santos.

When Sugar Santos makes his first start back from his injury, he struggles to control his pitches. By the fourth inning, the manager pulls him from the game. The fans scream slurs at him as he walks off the field, only adding to the rage and frustration building up inside of him. Salvador Torres comes in as the relief pitcher for Santos and gets off to a hot start. The success Torres achieves comes as Santos is failing. The fans hatred and yells of anger replace the praises and cheers that were for Santos at the beginning of the season. These same fans begin cheering Torres, showing their willingness to accept him. He takes Santos’ role as the fan favorite, and eventually replaces him in the starting rotation. The quick acceptance by the fans of Torres is something that Santos cannot handle. Everywhere around him, Santos is losing grip. It is apparent that the mental tolls of the competition are causing Santos to struggle, both on and off the field. Torres is quickly taking over his role, both on the team and with the fans.

Clearly, Salvador Torres has now become the rising superstar. No longer are the announcers and fans praising Sugar Santos. Torres is receiving all of the praise, and boasting about his award of Player of the Week. Santos begins to take his rage out physically, and continues to struggle on the mound. The whole time Torres is oblivious to Santos growing animosity towards him, which only increases as he continues to struggle. When Santos arrives to the team bus for an away game, the tension he has built up towards Torres becomes apparent. He refuses to let Torres help him with his bags, pulling away from him, and blankly glaring at Torres as he heads to the clubhouse. Torres is confused, and gives him a friendly wave, but Santos just continues to glare, before slipping into the clubhouse. The competition has become too much for Santos. He is mentally beat. Finally, Santos accepts defeat by quitting and not returning to the bus. Instead, he heads to New York City, leaving the team, and his dreams of making it in the big leagues behind. It is apparent that the conflict between the two has helped propel ones career while crumbling the others. The competition Torres brought has taken its toll on Santos. Torres has soundly beat Santos into submission.

Sugar Santos’s struggle to make it in baseball is not because of a system that set him up for failure, or because of an injury that he suffers during his season. It becomes clear that the conflict in the story is that of man versus man. Santos’s failure is a direct result of subconscious conflict between two teammates. Even though it appears as though Santos would become the superstar, he quickly declines. Salvador Torres beats him in both direct and indirect conflict. In the end, the success Torres achieves propels him into becoming the rising superstar, not Santos. Santos’s inability to handle the competition presented to him by Torres proves that he is the reason for Santos’s decline, and the real antagonist in this story. Torres’s arrival on the team is not only a catalyst for change in the tone of the movie; it also leads to the eventual departure from the team by Santos, and him quitting the game he loves. Consequently, it reveals that Santos’s real antagonist is actually his friend, teammate, and closest competitor, Salvador Torres.

Works Cited

Sugar. Dir. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. Perf. Algenis Perez Soto, Kelvin Leonardo Garcia, Rayniel Rufino. Sony Pictures Classics, 2008.

Here is the official trailer for the gem of a movie by Sony Pictures Classic, Sugar

Now this is some dope stuff! The Roots in my opinion are the BEST Hip-Hop band EVER! Black Thought is probably the most under rated MC in the game, and the entire Roots crew is phenomenal. This is a little tape put together of some of the amazing live performances they have done since signing on to be the house band for Jimmy Fallon. Collaborations with artists like Q-Tip, Clipse, Raekwon, 50 Cent and so many more! This is what real hip-hop is!

Props to Shake over at 2DopeBoyz for the awesome cover art!

With 2009 winding down I figured I would do a run down of my five favorite mixtapes from the year. These tapes are not only the best of the year, they are a model of what real hip-hop music is! 2009 featured some big names making comebacks along with newer guys shining through. It truly was a year for Hip-Hop. Without any more delay lets get started with my Mixtape Gems of 2009!

1: Mick Boogie Presents: U-N-I – Before There Was Love!

In my humble opinion this was by far the best mixtape of the entire year! It was 27 tracks of pure fire, featuring everyone from Talib Kweli to Evidence to Big Pooh. Before There Was Love is full of bass bumping west coast beats and a sweet mix of samples, with that smooth Cali flow these guys have come to be known for! Y-O & Thurzday put out one of the realest, illest, dopest tapes ever when they released this! They not only continue to surpass all others in the game with each release, they do it all without a major label backing. They have redefined the true essence of what Hip-Hop really is, these doods are no fad, they’re real ass MC’s!

2: Big Sean – UKNOWBIGSEAN

The past few years have been huge for the entire G.O.O.D. Music label. Common, Kid CuDi, Mr. Hudson, Kanye West the list goes on and on. Kanye’s label is quickly becoming one of the best rosters in Hip-Hop. However of all the artists on G.O.O.D. Music I think Detroit native  Big Sean’s second mixtape UKNOWBIGSEAN was the best project released by anyone on the label (and that’s saying a lot considering how good Man on The Moon was). Every song goes hard from start to finish. His smooth flow and lyricism shows how much the kids learned while sitting in the Shadows! The tape is a showcase of the most underrated, unknown and unheard member of the G.O.O.D. Music family! In 2010 you will KNOWBIGSEAN!

3: Mike Posner – A Matter of Time

The debut mixtape by Mike Posner was nothing more then amazing! Hosted by Don Cannon and mixed DJ Benzi, A Matter of Time is a blend of Posner’s soulful jazz-like voice, and his dope production. Posner who is a senior at Duke University is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in Hip-Hop today.  His single Drug Dealer Girl is nothing less than one of the best tracks of the year. The tape features Big Sean (see #2) as well as Eric Holljes. He released his second tape One Foot Out The Door in October, and while I don’t think it was as good as A Matter of Time, it is clear the Mike Posner is a rising star!

4: Drake – So Far Gone

Now I know a lot of people would argue that this was by far the best mixtape of 2009. However this is my list! It was one of the best, I mean the numbers don’t lie. Hell the success he has received from the tape might very well be incomparable. However I feel this was only the 4th best tape of the year. How many other artists do you know that can re-release a free mixtape as an EP and actually have it sell? Enough said!

5: B.o.B. – B.o.B. vs. Bobby Ray

No. 5 was the hardest one to decide upon, however considering how continuously dope B.o.B. has been I feel he deserved this spot over the other ones. The ATLien has blown up over the past few years. Appearing on multiple video game soundtracks, features on multiple albums and tearing up the internet, B.o.B. is  one of the true leaders of the new school! While B.o.B. might be one strange cat, rapping about aliens and singing about stars, you cant deny his talent! The heart and soul he puts into each track is apparent. He is quickly becoming one of the best storytellers in Hip-Hop!

Honorable Mentions:

The Cool Kids – Gone Fishing

Could have knocked Drake off, however the fact that Don Cannon is screaming all over every track ruined it for me!

PacDiv – Church League Champions

PacDiv continues to release dope ass music! They are definitely one of the groups to be looked out for in 2010!

This is the first installment of a series I plan on doing. Taste Test will be all about songs I think people need to hear, artists I think you should know, and just plain old good music! So download it, sit back relax and press play!

1. TillWeDie – Blu
2. Life Change – Clipse
3. The Professional – Black Thought
4. Flickin’ – Kidz In The Hall
5. Hometown Glory – Drekidd
6. Better Dayz – Game
7. Pimp Dilemmas – GLC
8. Fuck Dat Hipster Shit – Grip Plyaz
9. Momma May I Feat Blaqstarr – Idle Warship
10. Angles (Remix) – Lupe Fiasco
11. Mirrors Edge Ft Bun B, GLC & XV – Mike Posner
12. Supernova Feat Kanye West – Mr. Hudson
13. Gangsta Life Feat Snoop Dogg – Nipsey Hu$$le
14. Baby Phat 09′ Feat Colin Munroe – Skillz
15. Chasing Windmills – Heavy D
16. Fly Away – Wale
17. This Plane – Wiz Khalifa
18. MrBlu2U – Blu (as GODLeeBarnes)

Mr. Glass Presents: Taste Test Vol. 1

Nothing more, enjoy and Happy Holidays!

Avatar is the brand new film by super producer James Cameron. It is Cameron’s directorial return to feature films. Cameron is best known for his huge success’s with The Terminator, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Titanic. Avatar, his newest creation raises Cameron’s reputation for creating film masterpieces. Not only does Avatar make use of new film technologies that are groundbreaking, but the visual effects are easily the best ever seen in a film. It stars Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver and Stephen Lang in a three hour film masterpiece.

It’s set in the year 2154, on an lush alien planet called Pandora. It’s inhabited by a native indigenous blue people called the Na’vi. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is a wounded ex-marine who comes to the planet to operate an Avatar (a Na’vi body grown with human DNA so that a human can operate it as their own body). Dr. Grace Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) is the head of the Avatar program, and initially refuses Sully. However when Sully earns the friendship of the Na’vi princess Neytiri ( the beautiful Zoë Saldaña), Dr. Augustine starts to see his potential as more the a Jarhead. The tension between the natives and the mining company mount, as Sully starts be accepted as one of the Na’vi. The growing animosity between the two groups ultimately leads to a war in which Sully has to chose between his people, and the Na’vi way of life he has grown to love. What you experience is the gripping story of one mans struggles between the loyalty to his race, and his love for Neytiri.

It’s so much more then just a science fiction movie full of fifteen foot tall warrior Smurfs (Neytiri is by far the sexiest alien I’ve ever seen!) and giant spaceships. Avatar is an updated version of the stories of Colonization and subsequent destruction of the native populations that riddle our history books. It tells the story of humans greed and destruction, an all too reoccurring theme in the modern world, versus the natives love for nature. Think of it as a futuristic version of Pocahontas mixed with pieces Terminator and Titanic. It is a movie full of betrayal, war, love, greed, pain, sorrow, and victory. From start to finish Avatar catches your eye with the breathtaking imagery. However as the movie goes on, the story shows that it too is not to be taken lightly. Avatar not only sets the bar for visual effects, and filming techniques, it also shows that special effects movies can be driven by an equally powerful story. Everything about the movie leaves you in awe. The animals and landscape created are certainly jaw-dropping, and the story is no joke. Avatar is by far the best movie made in the last ten years, and sets the bar for all films in the coming decade. Overall Avatar deserves a 4.5 out of 5 stars. While it was amazing, there were a few parts of the movie that had you feeling a little let down. Mostly the lack of development of the background. However Avatar’s pitfalls are outweighed by it wonderful story, and even better visuals. It’s definitely worth the money to go and see it.

Here is the official trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to Iron Man. Is it just me or has Robert Downey Jr. started to transform himself into one of the top actors in Hollywood? I mean here in a few days the Sherlock Holmes movie that he is staring in is set to drop. Which by the way looks extremely dope! Iron Man 2 looks equally impressive. Mickey Rourke also continues to climb back into the spotlight. He is staring as Iron Man’s nemesis, Whiplash! Terrence Howards character Col James Rhodes will now be played by none other then Don Cheadle. No offense to Mr. Howard but he is definitely no Don Cheadle. All in all this movie is shaping up to be pretty damn good!

Back in early 2008 I started a small blog called Hip-HopAlive! It was me trying to write about hip-hop music and my love for it. HHA! garnered a nice little following for the few months that I kept at it. I was receiving e-mails from lots of unknown up and coming artists who wanted me to review them. One of which was Colin Munroe, who has gone on to some pretty decent success. A review I did on Afrofreque, a hip-hop soul group from Houston, was actually my first piece to ever be published in any form. Sadly for some reason I decided to stop my little project. I was going through a rough time, and was still trying to figure out who I was. Later I tried starting up some other blogs, trying to emulate the things I saw on sites like 2Dopeboyz.com, all of which failed to ever be as good as the realness of Hip-HopAlive!. I ultimately quit them too, finally realizing that copying someone else ’s style wasn’t working for me. Hip-HopAlive! was my first real attempt at writing anything in a long time. I love that project for the simple fact that it re-lit the fire in me. It sparked my passion for writing once again. Since then I have changed, grown as a person and a writer. I have learned much more about the art, and have grown to love my little pathetic attempt at changing the hip-hop world. Looking back on some of the things I wrote, it makes me laugh. This was one of the first things I ever posted on the blog (many of the original posts have since been removed with only a dozen or so still remaining on the site). It’s my first attempt at ever doing a real album review, but not my last. With the new year coming up I plan on finishing what I started so long ago. I want to tap back into the magic that was Hip-HopAlive! I chose this album because it really touched me, and still remains one of my favorite of all time. It’s an album by an artist known simply as Blu. Here is my review from long ago of Blu & Exile’s Below The Heavens. Enjoy!

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Lupe Fiasco is hands down one of my favorite rappers of all time! Lu is the best out their today, sorry but its not even an argument! So I was pumped when he released his newest mixtape at midnight! Lupe is dog, no questions about it! Now unfortunately this mixtape is done cassette style. So that means its all one .mp3 track, instead of individual tracks. However any new Lupe is well worth it! I mean the guy is a lyrical genius, way above the rest. Luckily he has made it his mission to show the rest of the world just how much better he is than all the other rappers! He has ditched the idea of being retiring after three albums, and has indefinitely postponed LupEND. Thank god! Instead Lupe will be dropping his third studio album, entitled Lasers, in the near future. So without further adieu here is the latest mixtape by the great Lupe Fiasco!

Enemy of the State: A Love Story (Mixtape)

btw people, Lupe aint done yet, hes got another mixtape in store for us come Christmas!

While I am on my Lupe kick, let me give you some more!

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