Round of Applause - Black Milk

My iTunes library has grown quite a bit in 2010...homegrown, that is.
Of all the albums, mixtapes, songs that I've gotten my hands on this year, about 97% of them have been from a local rapper.

You're not experiencing déjá vu, I've said something similar numerous times. I've been so caught up in Detroit hip-hop this year that I've kind of ignored everything else.
That being said, Rick Ross, The Roots, Big Boi and Kanye have released some pretty good albums this year (from what I've been told :-/ ). So when I decided I'd do my top four favorites, I'd pick my top four Detroit albums, it's only fair.

Why four? Five was too hard (plus I have a thing for even numbers. My blog. My Rules).

Before I get into the top four some honorable mentions are Marv Won's 'Wayne Fontes Music', Street Justice's 'Go HAAM', Nametag's 'The Name Is Tag' and Moe Dirdee's 'M.O.E. (Mark of Excellence)'. I've heard The Left's Gas Mask is pretty awesome, but I haven't heard it yet (I know slacking).

4. Crown Nation - House Shoes presents Blue Mondays/Slut Bag Edition Double EP: I swear people don't talk about Crown Nation enough. Quelle and Denmark Vessey. I've written about these two fellows a little while ago, and stand by my claim that people are heavily sleeping on them. This Double EP, combines the best of both Crown Nation worlds, "Blue Mondays" was Quelle's solo project while "Slut Bag Edition" was a Crown Nation baby. The song that got me hooked was "The Archie Whitewater Interlude" which is on Slut Bag Edition, maybe it's their hip-hop quirkiness mixed with old school flavor and manipulation of simple flows and cool lyrics that makes them dope.

3.Miz Korona - The Injection: Though it dropped back during this summer, I officially got injected November 15 ( I remember the date because I had jury duty that day). I was dead determined to get a hard copy of that album and yes it took that long. Miz Korona is one of the artists I've gotten to know this year; I've seen her perform several times and simply ran into her on a few other occasions. One of the first songs I heard by her was "Like a Zoo," which is featured on this album, and I was pretty much captivated by her rhymes. She attacks bars with a spitfire delivery and pretty excellent word play; it's impossible to listen to The Injection without rewinding a song's verse to make sure you heard her right.  The entire album (with the exception of Cookin') was produced by Chanes, who I have officially stopped sleeping on, and is possibly the best 40 minutes of your life.

2. Danny Brown - The Hybrid: His jeans are tight but his rhymes are tighter. Ok, corny, but Danny Brown is way beyond a lot of his peers and The Hybrid should have been an album I paid for, I feel like I cheated the system. The Hybrid was my first time hearing anything by Danny Brown; I didn't know who he was, what he'd done, nothing. The only thing I knew was that my Twitter timeline was going haywire over this guy's album and I found out why. Danny Brown tells some interesting tales through his lyrics many of which are relatable hood tales like "Thank God" which makes mentions of Bridge and WIC cards or "Juno" which hits the nail on the teen pregnancy head. Production isn't half-assed either,  Red Bull 's 2010 Big Tune Producer 14KT did a track as well as the aforementioned guys of Crown Nation, Mosel, Nick Speed, Chuck Inglish ... The Hybrid bleeds awesomeness.

1. Black Milk - Album of the Year: When Black Milk named this album the last thing he was doing was exagerrating.  AOTY is the best $10 I ever spent. Upon its release, AOTY came in at #129 on the Billboard 200, which is a pretty dope accomplishment. Sometimes when producers decide to step behind the mic it's not always the greatest (and if it is, someone else wrote it for them), but Black did a damn good job lyrically on this album. That could be because producers know their music, they know how to to ride their beats if no one else does. 'Album of the Year' gets personal, as he discusses the passing of Baatin and his aunt and almost losing Hex, but also has hints of cockiness and arrogance. My favorite thing about the album is the beats; Black Milk does this thing with drums, I can't really describe it, but you know that thing I'm talking about if you've listened to it. If he wanted it to be, 'Album of the Year' could have been an instrumental album (but you know how that goes when wack rappers think instrumental albums give them a right to drop wretched 16s, I digress). The only cohesive statement I can make on Album of the Year: it is awesome, Black Milk did an amazing job on it both production and lyrically, and it may be too early to call it, but in a few years AOTY will be on the list of classic hip-hop albums ... even if it's only in the 313.

Music Video: Deadly Medley - Black Milk

Every time I hear Royce Da 5'9, Black Milk and eLZhi on a track together (whether Black is producing and eL and Royce are dropping lyrical bombs on the beat or if it's some Black/eL, Black/Royce, or eL/Royce combo) I always think of a clash of the titans. They are some of the best (and most underrated) lyricists around and your favorite rapper knows it. These three are some of my favorite rappers ever, not just in Michigan, but period.

They did the song "Real Hip Hop" for Royce Da 5'9's Bar Exam 3 and now they have teamed back up for "Deadly Medley" which will be on Black Milk's upcoming album, Album of the Year. Besides this album being one of the most anticipated albums of the year (at least for me) I have been dying to hear this song. One of my pipe dreams is for Black Milk, Royce and eLZhi to team together for a project...but then I think they would shut the industry completely down. Enough jabber, here's the video for "Deadley Medley":

Yay or Nay: Celebrate - Nametag feat. Ro Spit

Nametag is releasing his album "The Name is Tag" June 21st and it's one of the albums I am anticipating on hearing this summer. Today he released the second single off the album "Celebrate," it features Ro Spit and was produced by Black Milk (who is dropping his album "Album of the Year" later this summer). I think Nametag is underrated (then again what local artist don't I think is underrated), and with production by Black Milk, features including Quest MCODY, Cold Men Young and Street Justice, I'm sure 'The Name is Tag' is going to ooze summer awesomness. Yay or Nay: "Celebrate" - Nametag feat. Ro Spit.

Mo Power - Black Milk

So lately, I've been noticing my blog is slowly becoming more and more Detroit hip-hop ... I'm actually fine with that. To hear me speak about the way I feel about the Detroit scene is to hear a 5-year-old kid on a sugar high, riding a roller coaster in Toys 'R' Us with Santa Claus and dancing with Spongebob. I remember back during my senior year of high school I had an XXL Magazine and it had a feature on Black Milk in it, at the time I didn't know who he was, all I knew was he was Detroit and in a national mag, so he must be good.
Black Milk is my favorite producer out of Detroit right next to Dilla. He's worked with Slum Village, eLZhi, Royce Da 5'9", Phat Kat and a slew of others. He's currently working on his own album set to be released Summer 2010 entitled 'Album of the Year.'
Last week his name kept popping up, and so I figure I'd catch you up.

First up, Burn Rubber and Acapulco Gold collabed on the Detroit Riots collection in honor of the historic riots that changed the city in 1967. This is more than just a line of clothing, some local heavyweights collabed on a Black Milk produced track. It features T3, Buff 1, Ro Spit, Fat Ray, One Be Lo, Marv Won, Fatt Father, and Phatboy Chef—a lot to take in.


On Christmas Day, Black Milk released a new joint of his own that features AB. The track is called "Keep Going."


Black Milk also uploaded a new video blog and takes the time to talk about his next project and the meaning behind the title 'Album of the Year' (it doesn't mean what you think it does either). Take a few minutes and peep the video below.



Black Milk definitely is working as a juggling act, but I know I for sure can't wait to see the finished product and what else he has to bring to 2010.

Keep Holding On - Slum Village

The passing of Baatin is really taking a toll on Detroit, especially the hip-hop community and the people that were close to him. Yesterday, Hexmurda posted his first column on AllHipHop.com and it was dedicated to Baatin. Not only did it raise many internal questions about life and death, it included Hex's own memories as well.

The last time I saw Baatin was at a clusterf**k in L.A. called "The Breaks." Some real amateur bulls**t. He was with Slum Village, I was with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson. Bunch of acts, n***as not gettin' paid, security about to body the promoter, Psycho Realm fans about to riot, the promoter slithering out the back, sheriff's in riot gear, that type of s**t. When we realized we weren't going to get paid, n***as prepared to go back to the hotel, (which is another story in itself) and to Bishop Lamont's gig and H.O.B. Any n***a that knows me or Tim Maynor knows we ain't gonna have our clients do s**t for free. We were all like "f**k it." We got the deposit, free money let's bounce.

Not Baatin.

Baatin said, "Man,we're here. We got fans here. Let's just do it, give them a show." We all looked at him like he had a toaster for a head, and he returned our looks like we were wearing lampshades.

Well today, producer Black Milk posted this video on YouTube about Baatin in his own words. Apparently Baatin was the one that discovered that Black Milk had skills as a producer. Peep It.




Slum Village Lives On.

*Edit (1:26 p.m.) Talib Kweli made a blog post today about Baatin as well. In it he discusses how Slum Village as a whole influenced hip-hop culture, not just Dilla's beats.

I learned on Saturday that we lost another bright shining light in Hip Hop, Titus "Baatin" Glover passed away, leaving T3 as the only surviving member of the original Slum Village. Slum Village has had an incredible influence on me as an artist. When that Fantastic Volume 1 cassette was making the rounds in the industry, their style was so free and musical, it made me re evaluate my approach. Many assume that Dilla beats and were the main reason for SVs ascension into hip hop greatness but that assumption does a disservice to the rhyme styles of both T3 and Baatin. T3 would sometimes mumble, maybe not even complete the rhyme before he shifted gears, but it was so funky and in tune with the music it made me realize I could grow by having more fun and bending my voice to the music. J Dilla, like most producers, found the perfect vocal tone and flow to fit his tracks, he was like an anchor when he rhymed. Baatin, however, would take you to outer space. While T and J were rhyming about a 3 Screw, Baatin was rhyming about tantric sex. While the underground was hailing SV as saviors of pure hip hop, Baatin was like "fuck this rap shit I listen to classical." His spiritual references, willingness to approach unheard of subject matter and his incredible energy on stage, made me an instant fan. I had the pleasure of touring with the whole crew on the Okay Player tour in 2000 and again with the addition of the prolific Elhzi this year on Rock the Bells. He was a gentleman and very passionate about everything he said and did. He will be missed, for real. RIP Baatin.