Month: March 2007

Rating of the product:4 stars
Although I have taken a little bit of distance from 50 Cent since the release of his Massacre album, I did enjoy watching his movie, Get Rich Or Die Trying. Although I don ‘t think that Curtis Jackson is one of the greatest actors, the movie allowed us to penetrate into his life story and to know him better.
The movie soundtrack contains some valuable songs. It associates G Unit and Mobb Deep s collaborations.
The first track, Hustlas Ambition is built on strong guitar and keyboard sounds combined with soft female vocals. 50 Cent s flow is quite impressive. The monotonous tone of his voice is ment to express a hustlas will to dominate his world.
What If is based on strong vocals. Meet 50 Cent on the block, expressing his insecurities and fears in front of the hood s dangers.
Things Change is quite monotonous and the lyrics lack originality as far as i am concerned.
A Spanish sounding melody introduce You Already Know. Lloyd Banks and Young Buck unite their talents and are making their moves in the hood. Feel the specific gangsta atmosphere of the track.
When Death Becomes You is an explosive 50 Cent- Mobb Deep duo that is very well worked on instrumentally. It points out the numerous unsafe aspects of hood life.
My favorite song is definitely Window Shopper. I like the enthusiastic melody that goes with 50 Cent poking some fun at his enemies. The track is entertaining as well.
Another interesting 50 Cent- Mobb Deep collaboration is track Nr 13, You A Shooter that is built on very dark keyboard sounds and enhanced with violins in the background.
I Don t Know Officer targets the snitches in the hood. The hammering, knife alike piano notes totally underline the tension that comes out of the police s investigations. Stop snitching is the song s motto.
Although I didn t like each song of the album, I recommend you the Get Rich Or Die Trying movie soundtrack, because of the valuable tracks it contains. Give it a listen!
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Rating of the product: 4 stars
French emcee Ben Laden might raise a lot of controversy by the nickname he carries. He might shock a lot of people through his statements.
Mc Ben Laden is nevertheless an interesting and quite enigmatic figure in French underground rap. In fact, his album, La Vie Après La Mort, draws a caustic satire of French society, its racism, its wounds and its failures.
To fully enjoy and understand the album, it is preferable to have experienced life in a French ghetto.
Never afraid to stab Nicolas Sarkozy and to point out French society s weaknesses, Mc Ben Laden is the messenger of a sick society that definitely needs some healing.
MC Ben Laden makes some caustic allusions to Bouna and Zied’s tragic death in Clichy Sous Bois, a Paris suburb, in 2005, a tragic event during which both teenagers were chased by the French police and landed into an electric transformer and died. He accentuates the wrong way Muslims are perceived on purpose.
Nan ironizes the huge fear people have of Islam.
The equation Islam equals violence is used as a shock value. The ghetto youths incessant quest for money in order to improve their situation is constantly underlined.
Petit Blanc targets a specific category of white suburban guy who affects to like rap music in order to obtain some acceptance in the black community.
Mc Ben Laden will probably be misquoted and misunderstood by some listeners, but I think that one should lend him an attentive ear.
One of my favorites is certainly Fils De Croise, because of its strange keyboard sounds and its inventive lyrics. MC Ben Laden will not shy away from showing his lyrical weapons.
Mc Ben Laden has some free downloads to offer on his my space account, including Une Vie Après La Mort.
Have a look at his music!
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Influenced by Wu Tang and rich of the teachings of Japanese philosophy, Ticazie Wu is a Mississipi artist who manages to give ab original taste to his music.
Warrior is based on some oriental sounds that are intelligently combined with a good flow delivery and some well thought, incisive lyrics. Ticazie Wu marches on, like a valuable soldier, ready to start a lyrical war that will exterminate the weak and the cowards on his way. I highly recommend you Warrior, because of its originality and the astute way the song is built.
Any hour has a softer, funky flavor. It exposes a more romantic side of the artist who dedicated the track to a lucky girlfriend.
911 is built on some catchy beats, dark bell sounds and female vocals in the background. You will probably enjoy Ticazie Wu ‘s unbeatable flow delivery that is very impressing.
Soft and rough elements contrast with each other and give the song its particular bitter-soft taste.
In My Nine, Ticazie Wu is on his run against the clock. Gunshots and paniced voices in the background will make the listener feel the unsafe atmosphere that is strongly suggested by lyrics and instrumentals.
Check out the interesting and original artist here.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Dead Presidents III is based on a soft melody that contrasts with the gunshots background.
As most of you would probably know, Dead Presidents is a US slang term for money. The track introduces you into the habitual and usual conflict an aspiring emcee goes through. You can hate money, dough, chips, dead prez or whatever you call it, you know you need the money to advance in the merciless rap game. Dead Presidents III is full of philosophical truth and lyrical depth. One should definitely give a listen to the rhythmic song.
State is built on melodic guitar sounds combined with some catchy drum breats. The song denounces the way the police acts in the hood. The song is lyrically inventive and full of a strog fighting spirit.
Exodus to Genesis introduces the listener into a confused universe in which instrumentals mix up, opening into the emcee s mental universe. You can lose your religion easily when your universe is collapsing. Issues can make your question your religious values and your faith. Feel the de profundis claim of desperation.
Video Gangsta targets fake thugs. It is beautifully handled instrumentally. I particularly enjoyed the piano and violin notes cascade combined with a strong verbal storm.
Discover Die Young Records here.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Because of the huge misunderstandings this post has already created, I would like to advice my readers to read my statements very carefully. In NO WAY, I am lacking respect towards Eminem. Marshall Mathers has earned my respect and will always have it. This man changed my life and I am not gonna forget about it easily. However, I always considered constructive criticism as an important part of my writings and I am not gonna change it to please anybody, period!
I have been asked that question by a fellow fan recently. I gotta be honest with all of you readers, I am unable to respond to this question with a firm yes or no.
Since I discovered him as an artist, in 2001, I have always been very supportive towards Eminem, because I strongly believed in his huge skills and creativity.
I have also focused an interest on Eminem as a person, because a lot of details regarding his personal story were available through the numerous details he gave us through his lyrics. As an author, I have been working on a-yet unpublished- biographical essay that I completed since 2002.
At a time Slim Shady was spreading like a virus, I didn ‘t have any problem with Eminem getting so much personal with his fans in his songs. However, what once made the strength of his evil alter ego appears now as a huge weakness in his music.
Those weaknesses appeared in the Encore album. They will still be present unless Eminem decides to work on his themes and renew his style.
In 2005, Eminem declared that he had nothing more to say as Slim Shady and he symbolically killed his evil character.
I found it nice, funny and refreshing in the beginning, when Em introduced himself and talked about his personal problems and his love for his daughter.
I don ‘t think I will buy his next album, though, if it will be fulfilled with the same old references to Kim and to Hailie.
Seriously, this shit is starting to annoy me. I don t care about Em s whereabouts with Kim. It is a never-ending story that needs to be handled privately. Some people might have fun spreading such every day gossips, but I am not one of those, even if I happened to express on the subject.
In the same way, I don t wanna know about how much he loves Hailie. I already know it, and I am not keen on hearing the same old refrain. I do love my kids too. You don’t read it in each of my articles, though.
I wanna hear about hip hop. I wanna hear about good lyrics. I wanna see the passion. I wanna see an emcee who lives for his art.
If he doesn t bring the elements previously mentioned with him, I might lose my interest in his music.
Of course I will always give him credit for his positive impact on my life, but like I said it numerous times before, I refuse to be blind and deaf.
Maybe it is a little bit too early to answer that question: let s see what direction Eminem will give to his music next and I will decide whether I still believe in him or not.
Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Yes, you read it well…One of Proof s closest collaborators and friends, one of the instigators of the Promatic duo, Kevin Bailey aka Dogmatic accepted to answer a few questions in an exclusive interview. Read it here.

1. How did you get started as an emcee?
-It all started with the LL cool J I’m bad LP that my brother let me hear
2.Your first nickname used to be K-Stone. How and why did you change it to Dogmatic?
-I was very young as K-stone like 8Th grade through high school but as I got older I grew out of that name an image so I chose a name that more suited me as an adult and that would keep me relevant for the new millennium. The name Dogmatic came from my mom its what she called me an my dad for having so many girlfriends so i made the switch.
3. When did you meet Proof and to what extent did he affect your musical style?
-I met Proof in 1991 in a freestyle session over our boy an emcee B-def’s house, when I heard his wacky style it defiantly open me up to something new
4. Tell me a little bit about your Promatic album.
-It was hot it was fun an definitely before its time a real classic piece an some Proofs best work
5. What inspired you to create the Do What I Wanna Do video?
-well the song of course, plus Proof wanted to do something different an crazy so when i saw the treatment for the video i had to shoot it but really my first choice for our video was the song live but we were having to much fun to do that
6. Define your style within a few words…
-if you would have asked me this last year i probably would have said street gully but now the answer is just true hip hop in its purest form
7. What is your 8 Mile Chronicles CD all about?
-It was about getting all the shit I been through in Detroit and in the rap game off my chest
8.Proof s death affected most of us. What are your thoughts on the tragic event that deprived us from a brilliant emcee?
-I will always be be in pain from that tragedy that cheated us all it set me back emotionally plus changed me morally, but matured me a whole lot, i really wish i could change it or had been there to stop it from happening but I can t. I know he’s watching though and I will keep making him proud an let his voice be heard help take care of his family and keep Promatic alive.
9.Tell me a little bit about the Sick Notes label.
-I started Sicknotes ent. in 2000 with my nephew Witt an our friend pep some of our production credits are Promatic, the virus,D12 world, Obie trice, Proof’s searching for Jerry Garcia, Bizarre’s handy cap circus, 8mile chronicles, an more recently my new mix tape CD the reality show, an you’ve probably heard some of our tracks on VH1’s the white rapper show and MTV’s Big an Rob
1O. What are your thoughts about the local Detroit scene?
-We have all the talent, we just need more love…
11. What are your biggest musical influences?
-All the old Motown stuff and the classic hip hop like run dmc, LL Cool J, Rakim & Eric B, P.E., EPMD, NWA, B.D.P., Nas, 2PAC,
12. Which artist do you respect most and why?
-Nas for carrying on tradition in hip hop, Master P for showing us our value an how to get it, Dr.Dre for giving us a quality standard in hip hop production, ice cube for showing us how to go from gangsters to business men, 2PAC for his pro blackness an teaching us to love ourselves Andre3000(from Outkast) for being original an teaching the kids, and KRS1 for educating us
13. What are your musical projects for 2007?
-There’s alot in the works a Dogmatic Lp, an a mix tape (the reality show), an of course a new Promatic LP, Promatic mixtape and dvd
14. What accomplishment are you the most proud of?
-I would have to say my 2nd K-stone LP 313 it really changed shit in the D its what started that saying 313 in Detroit an all over the world people using area calls to represent their city, hands down that’s my greatest accomplishment yet in hip hop starting the slang 313!
Enjoy Dogmatic s good music here.

Copyright 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved