Month: April 2006

216 is a hip hop duo composed of Beaz and Train, two emcees from Cleveland, Ohio.
Like the 313 in Detroit, 216 corresponds to a Cleveland calling area.
Their my space account will allow you to explore four tracks from their The Game Is Life debut album.
The Single is a club song written in a « Shake That Ass » style. Based on some electronic notes and some catchy beats, the rhythmic song will transport you into a pimping atmosphere. The two 216 have a nice flow delivery on the track.
Train and Beaz will offer you three different variations on the preceding The Single team featuring Fat Joe, Lil Jon and Fabolous.
The first variation with Fat Joe will make you feel the crack addicted/ gangsta atmosphere of the track. Fat Joe’s vocal performance is enjoyable while the chorus repeats the club theme.
The second variation is lead by Lil Jon and introduces a nasty note on the track. Lil Jon’s grave voice adds to the lousy atmosphere.
The third variation featuring Fabolous is more festive, joyful and based on a very rhythmic background mixed up with scratches.
On all of their tracks, Train and Beaz are doing a great job. Discover them Ohio players here.
You like what you heard and you’re curious to discover more from both emcees?
Listen to their Yeah song, then.
Yeah will probably make hip hop lovers feel enthusiastic. Rich instrumentals, a very nice flow delivery and well handled lyrics will fully make you enjoy 216.
Enough said: check them out!

By noon Tuesday hundreds of mourners had already walked down the aisle of Fellowship Chapel to get a glimpse of the rapper Proof, who was killed last week in a shooting at an after-hours nightclub.
The rapper, legal name Deshaun Holton, was in a gold-toned open casket, dressed in brown-and-tan athletic wear and his signature Kangol cap — the same kind of outfit he’d wear in music videos or around town. A No. 1 Chauncey Billups Detroit Pistons jersey, autographed by several players, was draped over his body.
He was surrounded by a huge collection of floral arrangements, including some sent by Geffen Records and Interscope Records, the latter label being the home of rap group D12, which included Proof and best pal Eminem as members.
Detroit Police were a heavy presence inside and outside the church, with about a dozen cops, plus other private security, in the vicinity. Police had said the security was necessary because of Proof’s fame.
A mixture of old and young, white and black — some in T-shirts with Proof’s likeness airbrushed on them, some in three-piece suits — congregated outside the church on Detroit’s west side, giving hugs, breaking down and consoling each other after viewing their friend, family member or favorite rapper.
“It doesn’t seem real, said Marvwon of the Detroit rap group Fat Killahz. “He was Superman. How do you kill Superman?”
The viewing was scheduled to run through 9 p.m. Tuesday at Fellowship Chapel, 7707 W. Outer Drive. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the same church.

Discover 216, Cleveland’s finest…stay tuned, folks:)

Rating: 3.75 stars
8 Mile viewers will probably remember the emcee who first battled B Rabbit in the final part of 8 Mile. His stage name in 8 Mile was Lickety Split. On the Detroit scene, this artist is better known as Strike, because this is his real stage name.
You might have appreciated Lickety Split’s performance in 8 Mile, but the rapper known as Strike is pretty much hated in Detroit.
You might be curious to know why. What would you think of a man who comes to your house and steals your money?
I experienced a similar situation and I think that I will never forgive the persons who stole my money a few years ago, even if it was a small amount compared to the 3250 dollars that disappeared from the CEO of Detroit group Fullklipp, P.A.C.E’s house.
Dark keyboard sounds and rhythmic introduce the song. P.A.C.E spits his rage against the traitor who stole the money from his brother.
Yea, you heard it well: P.A.C.E called him a brother. P.A.C.E and Strike are both Muslims and it is always bad to see such things happen between people from the same community of believers.
His actions qualify Strike as a coward. The chorus ironically points it out : « I smell pussy, I smell bitch ». Gunshots in the background will make you feel the overheated atmosphere.
P.A.C.E has a real nice flow delivery. The track is offensive on purpose and well handled from the beginning to the end.

Check it out here.

Linguistics is a rap group from LA composed of Kasper, IQ and Entity.
Hip hop lovers will enjoy the well handled  Glory song. Introduced by some keyboard sounds, nice scratches, Linguistics’ talent is illuminated by a real nice flow delivery and intelligent wordplays.
Let the three emcees guide you through their lyrical world, open your ears and enjoy the metaphors.
Glory brings you back to pure hip hop, the way it should be: non commercial, built on good instrumental and catchy beats, enlightening emcees’ flow and lyrical skills. Linguistics rap for the love and the beauty of hip hop, which is very much enjoyable for hip hop heads like me.
On The Grind is written in a battling mode. Listeners, this is what Linguistics are all about: real hip hop.
The monotonous beats introduce you into the emcee’s harsh fight. A crew that is dedicated to the crowd and determined to play some real hip hop.
Raise your hands in the air and feel the struggling atmosphere.
The track is definitely a great encouragement for people to support underground hip hop. Be conscious of the sweat and the hard work of artists whose efforts aren’t always immediately rewarded.
I recommend you Where Did Hip Hop Go, a rhythmic track that is introduced by numerous violins, harpsichord sounds in the background. The three emcees will impress you with their good flow and lyrical skills.
Most of their tracks are very well handled and will bring you back to real hip hop. Linguistics will communicate you their passion for rap music. There is a lot of enthusiasm and energy contained in their tracks.
Maybe it is just a personal point of view, but I didn’t like Have Faith. The more mature I become, the less I like religious debates tending to prove God’s existence. I have stopped being religious to become more spiritual and I do consider that anybody is free to believe or not…
However, globally, Linguistics are doing a great job. Discover more about them here.

Linguistics outta LA, California…the name says it all…stay tuned:)

to please not speculate about what Eminem might do or not, about him being suicidal or not. This is a huge form of disrespect as far as i am concerned.
Deshaun’s family and Em are going through real hard times. Please respect their pain.
You really wanna help Eminem? PRAY FOR HIM INSTEAD OF SPECULATING.
Ok I had to edit this post, since some idiots think they have the right to insult Deshaun’s memory.
Some of you idiots dare to say: “Proof got what he deserved, he shot first etc…” and then you add a “nice word for Em”. You hypocrites! Em would kick your asses for that:(
Fuck the press, fuck the media, I don’t care about what has been said there. I know in my heart that Deshaun would never have shot first if he wasn’t in real danger.
Who are you to judge him anyway?
I will systematically delete disrespectful comments towards Deshaun Holton aka Proof. Be sure of it, I won’t let a bunch of dumbasses who -obviously- have no idea about what this wonderful Detroit emcee was all about- insult his memory. Go post your bullshit elsewhere.

Proof
“You don’t know where to begin when you lose somebody who’s been such a big part of your life for so long. Proof and I were brothers. He pushed me to become who I am. Without Proof’s guidance and encouragement there would have been a Marshall Mathers, but probably not an Eminem and certainly never a Slim Shady. Not a day will go by without his spirit and influence around us all. He will be missed as a friend, father and both the heart and ambassador of Detroit hip-hop.
Right now, there’s a lot of people focusing on the way he died. I want to remember the way he lived. Proof was funny, he was smart, he was charming. He inspired everyone around him. He can never, ever be replaced. He was, and always will be, my best friend.” – Eminem “”

A source exclusive to SOHH.com has revealed that the argument that resulted in the death of D12 member Proof was initiated by the other victim in the shootout over a “King of Detroit” argument.
As SOHH previously reported, Proof and Keith Bender got into a heated exchange at Triple C’s nightclub early Tuesday morning (April 11) which lead to Proof pistol-whipping and shooting Bender. Proof was then gunned down by Bender’s cousin as he stood over Bender.
“[Bender] started an argument with Proof, knowing who he was,” the source told SOHH. “Proof told him he didn’t want to hear any bullshit and that he was ‘King of Detroit’ and stuck his hands in [Bender’s] face.
“The guy then pulled out his gun and then Proof pulled his out and shot — hitting the guy,” the source added. “The guy’s cousin who is a bouncer at the club then shot Proof. They grabbed up the gun from the guy Proof shot and fled.”
According to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, Proof was shot three times in the head and the chest. He was pronounced dead on arrival at St. John Conner Creek Village in Detroit. Bender is currently in St. Johns Hospital and Medical Center in critical condition.
On Wednesday afternoon (April 12), Mario Etheridge, a 28 year-old bouncer at the Triple C’s nightclub, turned himself in to Detroit Police accompanied by his attorney Randall Upshaw. Upon arrest, he revealed he was Bender’s cousin.
Etheridge is still in custody and authorities are continuing to investigate whether he should face charges in the shooting, which Detroit Police said, might have been in self-defense. But SOHH.com sources say Etheridge surrendered out of self-preservation.
“The guy turned himself in out of fear he was going to get got at by Proof’s people,” said the source. “Proof frequented the place and there is of course no way the bouncer or anyone else in the club didn’t know who he was,”
Proof’s untimely death continues to overwhelm his fans and peers in the music industry.
Today, Royce Da 5’9″ expressed his feelings regarding the unfortunate passing of Proof in a statement.
“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,” Royce added via the statement. “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 EiffelTower. 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.”