Month: April 2006

A fellow fan sent me this little poem to honor Deshaun Holton’s memory…published with Jorja’s permission.
Living Proof Forever
All it takes is one disagreement
One wrong move in a fight
For the penny to drop
Like a shot in the night
Then a second of silence
Which cuts like a knife
Before all chaos descends
The end of a mans life
The effect is heartbreaking
He leaves his kids and a wife
And the worlds greatest rap group,
Is now down to five
Yet whenever I play his songs
He still seems alive
I just turn down the volume
And close shut my eyes
To see him rapping on stage
With his best friend by his side
Gone now, but living on
Through his vibe
What I’m trying to say is:
Toting guns ain’t clever
But surrender? Never!
Living Proof forever
CopyrightApril the 30th, 2006 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved
Oh yea just a little reminder to the fools who would be tempted to copy it without my permission…there’s a copyright going with this poem…if you ever read this elsewhere than on my places, it is quite obvious that it has been stolen!

Rating: 4 stars and a half
Ondre Moore aka Swifty Mc Vay is back, with a beautiful piece of solo work: his Forest Fyres mixtape. This mixtape has been made in collaboration with Swifty’s fellow emcees from Runyon Ave, the Fyre Department.
Swifty might be less known as a solo artist by D12 fans, he is nevertheless an amazing lyrical bomber. Besides his work with his fellow D12 members inside of the group, Ondre Moore has some very interesting work at his active with Detroit underground emcees from Raw Collection.
His former Grenade Pins mixtape is an underground jewel I recommend to hip hop lovers.
Swifty ignites the fire by dropping lyrical bombs. You could barely stay indifferent in front of his music.
Ready for a crazy ride with the Chief of the Fyre Department? Let me introduce you into his mixtape.
I Don’t Say Nothing is built on some rhythmic drum and guitar sounds that will lead you into a hot atmosphere. Listen to the sirens in the background. Swifty’s flow unstoppable and the valuable emcee spits fire on the mic. The words are offensive and murderous, our man is a « walking felony ». Welcome to Swifty’s world.
It Ain’t Safe is introduced into a raw street killer atmosphere. Piano sounds, violins, gunshots and sirens will lead you into the scary atmosphere of the streets of 7 Mile. Face it: it ain’t safe where he comes from. Heartbeats alike, the beats will remind you of a thug running away from an imminent danger.
Act A Fool is a club song. The title says it all…madness, drinks, chicks and blunts to smoke…be ready to get krunk.
Be Like Me: let the drums and maracas lead you into a funny fighting atmosphere. Let the words spread like deadly weapons from Swifty’s mouth. Knives alike, they will stab you in an offensive manner. Nicely done.
Change is a beautiful and rhythmic track that will show the listener what Swifty is all about. Always true to himself, he and his crew won’t change.
Back Against The Wall : a soft chorus introduces the song and it will soon contrast with Swifty’s reps. Where would you go when your back is against the wall. Feel the danger and the thuggish atmosphere of a politically incorrect track. Swifty shows some beautiful skills .
The instrumentals are well chose and totally fit into the song.
Swifty attacks a political system that created a lot of injustice and misery in the hood. The darkness of the track is underlined by piano and keyboard sounds.
The 7th song Fucking Wit Us is written on a beautiful oriental background. Instrumentally rich , it will make you enjoy Swifty’s gun talk. Better not talk shit about Swifty and his D12 fellows. Like the other songs, the track is a lyrical jewel, that I highly recommend to the listeners.
Do Somem has the same somber style. Swifty is writing murder music and it is lyrically highly enjoyable. Hell raiser, the talented artist is determined to bring a lot of darkness into his song. Welcome to the Murda Mitten, the dirty D town. Enjoy Ondre Moore’s great talent in creating an unsafe and murderous atmosphere.
On most of the tracks, Swifty and his Fyre Department are dropping some pure heat.
Be sure: you all gonna remember him. Don’t miss Obie’s track Kill Me that is also part of Swifty’s mixtape.
My advice to all of you: go cop Swifty’s mixtape that is available on his official website. You won’t be disappointed.
The lyrical bomber in D12 has dropped an explosive mixtape. Each track is definitely worth a listen.
More info about Swifty, his Fyre Department and the Forest Fyres mixtape can be found here.

Rating: 4.5 stars
Ignorance. Yea, ignorance motivates most people to talk against rap and hip hop culture. Each time some ignorant and comfortable journalist opens his dirty mouth to spread his disrespect about a culture he is totally ignorant of, my heart is bleeding. Each time white America is making a mean statement about ghetto life, the truth seems to get buried very deep into a comfortable America’s conscience.
People don’t wanna hear the truth from the underprivileged’s mouth.
No matter how deep you bury the voice of the ghetto, it will scream from the innocent victim’s coffins. No way: you can’t stop the truth from marching on.
NWA legend Ice Cube raises his voice loudly and the truth comes out his mouth. To all of you who are spreading your ignorant lies about hood life, open up your ears.
The video is introduced by some powerful keyboard sounds and rhythmic tracks. Ice Cube points his finger at the American government as he introduces us into the LA ghetto.
George Bush wonders why thugs act the way they do?
« They give us guns and drugs
Then wonder why in the fuck we thugs
They wanna count the slugs
Then come around here and fuck with us (Uh huh)
They give us guns and drugs
Then wonder why in the fuck we thugs
They wanna count the slugs
Then come around here and fuck with us  »
Watch prisons, drug and gun traffics, watch the misery all around you. You probably think ghetto inhabitants are the animals? No. You Mr President are the real animal. You created the system:
« I’m from the land of the gang bang
Since I was little, ain’t a god damn thang changed
It’s the same ol same
Bush run shit like Sadaam Hussien
I cock and aim, clinically insane
To deal with this bullshit day to day
If I sell some yay or smoke some hay
You bitches wanna throw me up in pelican’s bay
Call me an animal up in the system
But who’s the animal that built this prison
Who’s the animal that invented lower living
The projects, thank god for Russell Simmons
Thank god for Sugarhill
I’m putting a different kind of steel up to my grill
Y’all know what it is, scared for your own kids
How these ghetto niggaz taken over showbiz »
You created a place where you isolated people and condemned them to a miserable life.
« Thugging » and hustling are ways of life you created. Why the hell do thugs act like thugs? Because you Mr Bush created horrible conditions of life in the ghetto where each day is a matter of survival. Ever thought about that, all of you who prompt to condemn people who live in the hood, their music and their culture?
Every day is a fight to survive in the jungle where you can get killed in no time:
« It’s boyz in the hood, it’s toys in the hood
Y’all wanna know why there’s noise in the hood
Cause there’s drugs in the hood, thugs in the hood
Nigga killed a crip and a blood in the hood (For real)
Cause when niggaz get tribal
It’s all about survival, nobody liable
I got caught by five-oh
Grandmama came to court with her bible
But when the judge hit the gavel
Now I’m too far from my family to travel (Fuck)
I just came unraveled »
Life is hard and blood get spilled in no time in the hood. Yes, every hood looks the same. The government created a disaster and is unable to handle it the right way.
Black people who are taken to Court pay their crimes harder than white people and are jailed in a inhuman system.
I have corresponded with a roommate from Arizona jail for three years and I could barely translate all the horror about jail I read in his letters.
Being black means « second zone citizen » to the American government. Being black means less chances to get a proper education in high schools. Being black means being discriminated against on a daily basis by the cops.
There is injustice everywhere and comfortable people would like to shut down the voice of the hood.
Corruption is everywhere. They put you in jail for years and it is so hard to get the right defense.
Damn) I can’t take the pressure
Pulled the fo-fo up out the dresser
Grabbed the weight up out the closet
Po-po coming but I’m scared to toss it
Y’all know what happened last time I lost it
Can’t tell you niggaz what the fuckin boss did
The game got a nigga exhausted
Gotta go for the plea bargain they offered
Twenty years for what?
Breaking these laws that’s so corrupt
Taking these halls and fillin ’em up
Some powder cake shit that’s about to erupt
Ay y’all, I’m about to be stuck
Until the year two thousand, what the fuck?
In the hood, don’t press your luck
Cause these motherfuckers will set you up, word up
You can’t stop the voice of the truth. You can’t stop hip hop soldiers from raising their voices and pointing a finger at you.
Hip hop culture is a powerful tool against racism, injustice and discrimination. People from all countries have joined it and are ready to fight for the truth to shine on.
Lyrically and instrumentally, Ice Cube’s song is a masterpiece. The video is beautifully handled from the beginning to the end.
The video ends up, showing all of them Compton legends who always had the courage to fight the system. Black men from the hood? Yes, but with an attitude.
Watch Why We Thugs here.

come up to you with some brand new hits…and always amaze you with their talent.
Ice Cube released a very good video, Why We Thugs…I will review it for you soon…stay tuned, folks:)

Today I will introduce you to Mad Maestro Entertainment, a label of Brooklyn that has a lot of interesting tunes to offer to the listeners.
Moreover, the design of their website is definitely worth a look. It introduces you into the streets of the ghetto and allows you to meet a lot of nice people making their music.
As I always tell it to underground emcees who are worried about their promotional tools: a well designed website is half of the way done. The internet is one of the best ways for you to get known worldwide.
A well made website will attract the listener and make him want to know more about you. It will encourage him to buy your records and will help to get you a solid name in the rap game.
When you enter Mad Maestro Entertainment’s website, you are nicely surprised by the intelligent way it is handled. You feel like virtually visiting the streets of Brooklyn, feeling its atmosphere.
The City is illuminated and people are walking in the noisy streets of Brooklyn. Ready for a ride with Mad Maestro entertainment? Follow me.
The first page is dedicated to the daily news regarding the happenings within the label.
The second page offers several business solutions regarding marketing, management and distribution.
The third page introduces you into the production team (Kallisto, J. Frazier, J.Hill and Justone) . Not only will it allow you to have some insight about the producers’ biography, it will also allow you to discover a few songs on the right part.
Page four is dedicated to three artists, Ron Patterson, Chen Lo and Whosane-The Prophet.
Ron Patterson’s song, I Like It Like That, is very rhythmic and has some rich instrumentals. I’m not really a R’N’B lover, but I found this track very pleasant. Ron Patterson has a nice, warm and charming voice that probably won’t leave the ladies indifferent. Check it out when you have time, it is definitely worth your attention.
Another of his songs is We Can Do It. Rhythmic as well, enriched with some good instrumentals, the song is romantic as well and, again, you will enjoy Ron Patterson’s soft and colorful voice.
Chen Lo’s Destiny song will introduce you into a philosophical reflection about life. Keyboard sounds, catchy beats, soft vocals and Chen Lo’s nice flow delivery make this track highly enjoyable. Be sure of it: everything happens for a reason.
Gun Talk will lead you into a fully loaded atmosphere. Chen Low spits with confidence on his track and draws a realistic picture of ghetto violence.
I recommend you Rap Of Today that is beautifully enlightened with scratch sounds. The song points out real love for the music. Yes, we need more artists who live for the love of their art more than for its commercial use.
The third artist exposed on Mad Maestro Entertainment is Whosane-The Prophet.
Listen to Exile: it will teach you about the harsh struggle of ghetto people on the block.
Product of Circumstances is another of his lyrical and instrumental jewels that describes ghetto life with realness.
There are some other songs to discover that I haven’t reviewed on purpose. Be so curious and check them out too!
Page 5 will make you visit the website’s « mall ». Time to watch several interesting videos.
The sixth page will allow you to discover some photos.
A few pages are still under construction, but globally, visiting Mad Maestro’s website is an interesting and enriching journey to Brooklyn hip hop.

Brooklyn is coming to you…you will be able to discover Mad Maestro Entertainment and its artists…stay tuned folks:)

This post is addressed to journalists who like to raise their voices about subjects they obviously don’t know a lot about.
Since Deshaun Holton aka Proof passed away on April the 11th, a lot of ink has been spilled about the talented rapper.
On the one hand, a lot of people expressed their compassion and pain towards a whole hip hop community. On the other hand, some big mouthed journalists, whether they were from Detroit or not, presented a rather distasteful and wrong image of the rapper better known as Proof and of the circumstances of his death, bringing the emcee and hip hop culture into a very negative light.
Those journalists probably have no idea about how hurtful their words are. Some of them obviously don’t care as long as they manage to get a good salary from their boss.
My point is: talk about subjects you know about, but keep your dirty mouths shut about things you are totally ignorant of. Moreover don’t condemn rap music for the drama that happened with the loss of Biggie and Pac. Don’t call artists « hypocrites » when their music reflects a reality you are not familiar with.
I stumbled across an article recently and I found it very disrespectful towards emcees who make a living out of their raps.
It is always so easy to judge things that happen in ghettos when you live very far away from them, in a comfortable house, all facilities and five cars at your disposition. It is easy to condemn killings that happen on a daily basis in a place you have never been to. Survival is a foreign word to you, yea, we guessed it right.
I didn’t grow up in the Detroit ghetto, nor did I live in Compton. However, I have lived in a European ghetto for years and the place where I live right now could be pictured as a zone too. I have been into rap music and hip hop culture for years, being introduced into rap music by Mc Hammer in 1992.
The music I listen to and that I review refers to an every day reality. Hip hop was born from the rage of black people being oppressed by the government. The conditions of living in an American ghetto, no matter if you’re black, white, of Hispanic or Asian culture are very harsh.
It is very hard to survive there, as the music often points in out. Rappers have to deal not only with the harsh conditions of living, but also with local and national rivalries. Their lives are often put in jeopardy because of label rivalries and jealousy.
The ghetto is a jungle where the rule is often « kill or get killed », as local Detroit emcee Pace pointed it out recently.
I’d also like them journalists to be very cautious about the words they use regarding the circumstances of Proof’s death.
Stop calling Deshaun Holton a « murderer ». You were not here when the drama happened. Of course, you might object that I wasn’t there either. True. But I don’t pretend to know the truth about what really happened. The only witnesses were people from the Bender clan, the person Proof shot first.
It looks like the whole argument was much more complicated than a « King of Detroit argument ». A lot unofficial information tends to prove it anyway. Don’t judge. If you were in a tricky situation such as Proof’s the day of his murder and you felt your life was in danger, you’d probably shoot too.
Don’t blame the music for being the mirror of a daily ghetto reality. Don’t call « hypocrites » people who are more real than you will ever be in your entire life.
Talk about whatever subject you want to, but inform yourself before spreading your usual nonsense worldwide.

Check this out. I found it on Shady Base.
THE GAME
Anytime someone dies in the world period I’m upset. It’s when they get murdered that it really hits home ! For a person to shoot & kill another person, there had to be a tremendous amount of hate & envy for the victim. I’ve had so many of my close homies & even brothers, cousins & my uncle die to street violence. Shit is krazy homie because I feel like I should’ve died in 2001 when n****s tried to murder me & leave me for the wolves. Only God knows why I’m here 2day homie !!!
I met Proof early 2002 in a studio in Los Angeles & we clicked right off the back. The same night we were in the studio doing some mixtape shit while Em 50 & Dre were in the back studio workin on Get Rich Or Die Tryin. Over the years we became real kool & remained homies throughout all the beef shit witt G-Unit so to wake up this mornin’ at 10:41am flip open my sidekick & read that the homie was killed due to a bullet in the head just literally fucked my day. I will end this short letter by saying this, Proof will always be remembered & I as well as the Black Wallstreet family will keep his memory & his family in our prayers 1.
KON ARTIS
I just don’t know how to feel right now. It’s crazy because we’re suffering all these losses. We lost Bugz. Now we lost Proof. I just don’t know, you know what I mean? We’re all so messed up. Whatever happened, whoever this dude is, is still around. This is just crazy.
ROYCE DA 5’9
I am deeply saddened by the murder of someone I called a good friend. I’ve known Proof for over nine years and will always remember him for the joy and life that he brought into every room he entered. We first met at Detroit’s Hip Hop Shop where Proof was hosting open mics and was considered by most to be Detroit’s freestyle king. Even then you could tell there was something special about him. Some people might be familiar with a well-publicized beef that Proof and I had a couple of years ago. Thankfully though, we had not only resolved our conflict, but we also restored our friendship. Back in December, we went overseas together for a few spot dates in Europe where we had a chance to catch up on “the good ole days”.
We both laughed at how we sometimes forget how far we’ve come, until you look out of your hotel window and see London’s Big Ben or Paris’s Eiffel Tower. On that tour we had a chance to visit cities we never even knew existed. Not bad for two kids from Detroit Huh. His death is such a loss for the hip hop community, and especially for the city of Detroit. I hope that he will be remembered for the talented artist and great person that he was, and not the tragedy that he fell victim to. My thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family, friends, and anyone that was ever touched by him.
You will forever be loved and remembered…..
Royce Da 5’9″
PHAT KAT
He was one of the forefathers of Detroit hip-hop, said 34-year-old rapper Phat Kat, who recently hung out with Proof at Detroit’s Northern Lights Lounge, a bar that attracts Detroit’s hip-hop heavyweights every Tuesday night. That’s a real blow to the hip-hop community. … He was one of the persons that was responsible for Detroit hip-hop as a whole
DJ EXCLUSIVE
Proof was Detroit HipHop. He has been labeled “The Hip Hop Mayor of Detroit”. He was the cornerstone. This is a major loss for the whole hiphop community. Another life gone due to bullshit violence. The last time i spoke w/ him was last week & he wanted me to do a couple new mixtapes for him & his label Iron Fist, Im gonna make sure that those releases still come out for his fans & proceeds goto his family. Proof will always be remembered & loved very much. We need to STOP THE VIOLENCE THO FA REAL!

Rating: 3.75 stars
Detroit underground rapper Mutha, the « father of trash rap », released another song. It is called « Mixtape Crap » and it is worth your attention.
Soft piano sounds and soft vocals intoduce Mutha’s brand new song.
With lots of humor, the red haired emcee talks about haters stating « Who is this? You’d better stop rapping ».
Like many of his fellow white emcees from Detroit, Mutha experiences racial stereotypes and it can be a real pain in the neck.
Mutha answers with offensiveness and confidence to his haters on a rhythmic and rich musical background. Mutha reminds his listeners that he reps the Murder Mitten. Lyrically, the track is very much enjoyable and it introduces you in the dirty 313. Three One Third, you heard?
Mutha has a nice flow delivery. He developed a unique style of his own that you will also find in his Trashed in Detroit EP.
Check out Mutha’s Mixtape Crap song here.

H 20 (H to O) comes from Inkster, Michigan. The emcee has some good offensive gangsta rap to offer.
Enjoy him spitting with confidence on his Get Krunk freestyle. Krunk is a slang term that is familiar to people who are used to ghetto culture and that combines « crazy and drunk », it usually designs a person that is drunk and high on drugs.
Claps, drums and gunshots work together on the same rhythmic tempo. H 20 is a rhyme spitter who manages to give his club song a particular atmosphere. Alcohol, drugs and a hustling mentality mixed up with a good flow and some good rhymes will make the listener enjoy H2O’s skills.
Dark keyboard sounds will introduce you into a hustler’s world. H2O describes the game of hustle, the drug deals, the weapons and big money.
Feel H20’s routine and enjoy the melodic track.
I Really Mean It: meet a man on mission. The noisy track is beautifully introduced by some good instrumentals. Trumpets point out the festive atmosphere. H2O has a real nice flow delivery and his track is very much enjoyable for the listener.
Fire is a softer and more commercial track. I didn’t like it as much as the preceding songs mentioned above.
However, H20 has some good artistic qualities. Check him out here.