Month: July 2009

Global rating of the product: 4.5 stars
A pissed off Slim Shady with a dark minded spirit is addressing Mariah Carey’s recent ridiculous ” Obsessed” video. Unlike some ignoramus comments I read on you tube recently ( “Eminem barely disses anyone, so why did he get at poor Mariah?”), people who are less familiar with Marshall Mathers should know that disses are Slim Shady’s specialty. Eminem has been earning credibility on the local Detroit scene as a battle rapper. A battle rapper is not supposed to be nice, nor to show warm feelings to any opponent.
Some might object that Mariah is not an emcee and that a female shouldn’t be dissed. I’ve also heard from some commentators that the ” Mariah fling” dates back to 2001 and that it is childish to get back at ” such an innocent person”.
You naive people don’t get it: if Slim Shady is so much angry on the song, he’s got good reasons to be. If a former boyfriend denied dating me, believe me, I think I’d be angry too. Eminem astutely confronts Mariah lies by displaying her voice from the past voicemails she left into Slim’s mailbox.
The song is built on some catchy beats that totally fit with Eminem’s loud and angry voice that is shanking Mariah’s fakeness, step by step. Hammering piano notes accentuate the rapper’s ire. Here comes the thunderstorm: better be prepared for the avalanche of words that will follow, exposing true facts. I totally enjoyed Eminem’s honesty in exposing the truth.
Call it a revenge, yes, it certainly is, but moroever it is a lyrical slaughter in which the talented rapper shows some claws to rip his victim off in a very merciless manner. This is how the lyrical master will put sluts playing innocent virgins into a pool of blood- which is very enjoyable in my point of view.
Whatever dark and horrible “secrets” ( by the way, to know secrets about a man, it is quite obvious you must have been dating him, didn’t that pop up into “Mary Poppins” innocent mind?) Mariah might reveal about Slim Shady and even though he’d schock and lose some die hard fans because of them, the full mouthed rapper possesses a treasure Mariah aka ” Mary Poppins” seems to be totally deprived of: an undeniable talent!
I totally enjoyed the grimy spirit, lyrics and flow. Slim Shady is back. For good. You go, Eminem!
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Glad to share this exclusive diss with you. It is called The Warning and it is lyrical as hell. ou go, Em:)))
Here are the lyrics to the song, folks…enjoy:)
Eminem/ The Warning
Only reason I dissed you in the first place is because you denied seeing me
Now I’m pissed off
Sit back and relax homey, kick back and relax, grab a six pack while I kick facts
Yeah Dre’s sick track, perfect way to get back
Wanna hear something wick wack?
I got the exact same tat that’s on Nick’s back
I’m obsessed now
Oh gee, is that supposed to be me in the video with the goatee
Wow Mariah, I didn’t expect her to go balls out
Bitch, shut the fuck up before I put all them phone calls out you made to my house when you was wild n out before Nick
When you was on my dick and give you somethin to smile about
How many times you fly to my house? Still trying to count
Better shut your lying mouth if you don’t want Nick finding out
You probably think cuz it’s been so long if i had something on you I woulda did it by now
On the contrary, Mary Poppins, I’m mixing our studio session down and sending it to mastering to make it loud
Enough dirt on you to murder you
This is what the fuck I do
Mariah, it ever occur to you that I still have pictures?
However you prefer to do and goes for you too, Nick, faggot
You think I’m scared of you?
You gonna ruin my career you better get one
Like I’ma sit and fight with you over some slut bitch cunt who made me put up with her psycho ass over 6 months and only spread her legs to let me hit once
Yeah, what you gonna say? I’m lucky? Tell the public that I was so ugly that you fucking had to be drunk to fuck me?
Second base? What the fuck you tell Nick, punk?
In the second week we was dry humping. It’s gotta count for something.
Listen, girly. Surely you don’t want me to talk about how I nutted early cos ejaculated early and bus all over your belly, and you almost started hurling and said I was gross, go get a towel you’re stomachs curling. Or maybe you do.
But if I’m embarrassing me, I’m embarrassing you and don’t you dare say it isn’t true.
As long as the song’s getting airplay I’m dissing you.
I’m a hair away from getting carried away and getting sued.
I was gonna stop at 16. This is 32. This is 34 bars. We ain’t even a third of the way through.
Damn, Slim. Mariah played you. Mariah who?
Oh did I say ”whore”, Nick? I meant a liar too.
Like I’ve been goin off on you all this time for no reason.
Girl you out ya alcholic mind. Check ya wine cellar. Look at all the amounts of wine.
Like I sit around and think about you all the time.
I just think this is funny when I pounce you on a rhyme.
But it now i’m about to draw the line.
And for you to cross it that’s a mountain that I doubt you wanna climb.
I can describe areas of your house that you wouldn’t find on an episode of Cribs
A blubba load ribs if I hear another word so don’t go opening your jibs cos every time you do it’s just another load of fibs
I ain’t saying this shit again, ho. You know what it is.
It’s a warning shot for before I blow up ya whole spot
Call my bluff and I’ll release every fucking thing I got
Including the voicemails right before you flipped your top
When me and Luis were tryin’ to stick two CD’s in the same spot
(Slim Shady I love you)
I love you too
Let me whisper sweet nothings into your ear, boo. Now what you say?
(It’s nothing)
Guess what I’ll do?
I’ll refresh your memory when you said ”I want you”
Now should I keep going or should we call truce?
(You think you’re cute, right? Hahaha)
You bet your sweet ass I do
(I’m Mary Poppins, b)
And I’m Superman, mmm
(Mary P. Slim Shady)
Comin’ at you
So if you’ll still be my (babygirl)
Then I’ll still be your (Superhero, Wilma M.)
Yeah, I’m right here
(You like this)
Nope. Not anymore, Dear.
It cuts like a (knife) when I tell ya get a (life)
But I’m movin on with mine
Nick, is that your (wife)
Well tell her to shut her mouth then I’ll leave her alone
If she don’t (sing this script?) then I’ma just keep goin
(I se Mary Ann. Mary Ann’s saying ”cut the tape, cut the tape”. Knife!)

You can also read my interview at Skrillagorillas.Com
Dear readers,
Today I am more than pleased to announce that a big name on the Detroit scene kindly accepted my interview. This excellent artist happens to be Barry Yett aka DJ Butter who is notorious for his numerous mixtapes and collaborations on the local scene. DJ Butter used to hang out with Eminem, Bizarre, Mr Porter and Proof back in the golden days of the Hip Hop Shop. Very dedicated to his hometown, DJ Butter is currently working on an important movie, the 7 Mile movie that depicts the Detroit scene as it is. Wanna know more? Listen to DJ Butter’s words!
1. DJ Butter, you are notorious on the Detroit scene and well known for your numerous mixtapes that include a lot of local collaborations. How did you get started in the hip hop business?
– I was making mixtapes in High School selling them to my friends. My cousin, Shon used to got to New York and bring me back mixtapes in the late 80’s. My late friend, Patrick got me started as a DJ for his group, Sudden Strength.
2. What is the story behind your nickname?
– I have a light skinned skin color and I thought DJ Butter was marketable.
3. Can you define yourself as an artist within a few words?

– Multi-Talented. I can do all the elements in Hip-Hop.
4. You were a personal friend to Marshall Mathers aka Eminem. How did you meet the talented artist?
-I used to see him at the Hip-Hop shop in the early 90’s all the time. We got to know each other closely by going to the How Can I Be Down? music summit in the late 90’s. It was me, Proof, Mark Hicks, Bizarre, Eminem and Paul Rosenberg all together trying to get seen and heard out in Miami. I used to see Eminem all the time, in the streets selling his cds, while I sold my mixtapes. I was one of the first dudes to put him on mixtapes and featured him in my magazine, FUNKFRESHINTHAFLESH
5. You were also befriended with Deshaun Holton aka Proof whose life was cut short in April 2006. It is really a great loss for the hip hop community as far as I am concerned. To what extent did his death affect you and the whole Detroit scene?
– Proof was the voice of our Hip-Hop culture here. We had our ups and downs, but I was glad to talk to him before his death.
6. Who have you collaborated with on the local scene?
– I worked with almost everyone into the Rap Scene here. Except Kid Rock. That’s my next goal. I recently just got from a month long tour with, Esham. He’s the main reason for Detroit’s Rap Scene.
7. What is your best memory in Detroit?
– The Hip-Hop Shop and the unity we had a St. Andrews before the radio station fucked it up. The days before our major deaths of our rap stars.
8. Besides the Detroit scene, which artists have you collaborated with already?
– I’ve worked with Reggae legend, Junior Reid, Dipset, Yukmouth and I threw a huge party with the legendary, E-40.
9. A few words about your upcoming 7 Mile movie?
– My film, 7 Mile is the before and after of Eminem’s 8 Mile film. I’m just giving the fans a documentary version by covering the Motown Era until our music scene in 2009. I’m just showing the world, why Detroit is the mecca of music and reminding folks that Michael Jackson made his first checks here and that J Dillla gave people like Kanye West and Pharell their swag and all the footage is from my cameras.
10. You are the CEO of Crazy Noise Productions. Can you tell us a little bit about your company?

– I started my label at the age of 15 and released 5 albums under my label.
11. What are your current/ upcoming musical projects for 2009/2010?
– I’m working on some original music with Slum Village’s DJ, Dez and getting set to drop a mix-tape with Proof’s former producer, Essman.
12. Which artist(s) earned your respect on the local scene and why?
– I got love for Black Milk and it’s real cool to see Royce Da 5’9 re- invent himself. I respect all the guys here.

13. What is the biggest challenge you faced as an artist?
– When Eminem and D12 went against me. I just never under stood how I can break bread with those guys before the big label deals and they couldn’t break bread back. They made me out to be the bad guy. I was supporting Denaun Porter’s music before he was making any rap money from Shady Records or any other platinum artists he deals with today. I paid those dudes to do songs for my label and they gave the tracks to Em’s label. Last time I talk to him, he said he was gonna be a better DJ than me. I was there from the earlier days, when Eminem wasn’t returning there calls. I always wanted the best for the Shady family and it’s always been some bullshit politics. I have a conversation with Denaun on the phone, that will wake a lot of people up and I just didn’t leak it. It’s a G-Unit radio on Shade 45 and not D-12 radio and that’s my point. But, I understood why Eminem waved a walked away on the 8 mile movie.
14. What is your personal outlook on the Detroit scene?
– Our Music scene is the shit. We just gotta stop killing each other and going against one another. It’s crazy to see the world have that much love for J Dilla and Proof after they died. Those two struggled so much to display their talent and it seemed they all died with financial problems, even Mc Breed. To have rich business partners and to die broke is not my destiny.
15. According to you, what makes you appear as a unique artist on the Detroit scene?
– I really care about our rap scene. I’ve been documenting the rappers here for more than 15 years. I’m not the DJ that you can email a song too and I scream over it and say, I’m the best DJ in Michigan. I got the master tapes to prove it. The DJ’s on the radio here don’t give a fuck about the artists. We too busy trying to make Gucci Mane more richer.
Stay tuned! www.7milemovie.com

l
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Global rating of the product: 4 stars
I recently had the chance to be granted an interview with Detroit emcee Big A who also happens to be deeply rooted with Lebanon, his country of origins. To fully understand the emcee’s pain and struggle in his folks’ names, you have to watch his Same Struggle video in collaboration with Zhao-Ski.
Sometimes raw footages speak louder than any words. Sometimes words are the metaphorical support to the deepest wounds that are reflected in the images shown in a video. My intentions as a reviewer are not to enter into a political discourse regarding the Middle East conflict and its consequences, or to reflect any kind of biased views on one side or the other, but rather to expose the pain and drama that are expressed through the music.
Today’s Lebanon is a broken country that is destroyed by war. It is also undermined by a huge political divide. Lebanon used to be a glorious and rich country. Lebanon is mentioned in the Bible 71 times and one could barely think about Lebanon without mentioning its cedars, as Psalm 92 enlightens it so well:
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.” (Psalm 92:12)
This biblical verse will make the reader want to wander through scented forest of huge cedars and just enjoy its olfactive benefits. But I digress…what I meant is that Lebanon used to be an admirable, wealthy reference country, but the war reduced it to destruction, drug traffics and ruins all around its magnificent landscape.
Big A’s musical background is introduced by monotoneous piano notes that are the prelude to the drama. Along with his fellow emcee, he will underline the Israeli government’s wickedness in handling issues. Love doesn’t know any frontiers: the Detroit based emcee is marching along with his folks and supporting their fight. Enjoy his way of telling the story and making words rhyme together in a rebellious way.
Discover Big A’s video here.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Who is aka Big A? Big A is a Detroit underground emcee of Lebanese origins. Deeply rooted into Detroit City, the emcee stays true to his Lebanese heritage. Listen to his say!
Big A interview questions
1.What motivated you most to get involved into the rap business?
-I’ve been listening to rap music ever since I was 3 or 4 years old. I loved walking to the record store in South Lebanon an hour away to buy rap tapes. The feeling I got while listening to this music was a mix of entertainment, empowerment and inspiration. It really touched the deepest parts of my soul. I travelled to the United States at age 18 and didn’t start rapping until 3 years after that. The pure business aspect is necessary for an artist cause when you dedicate more time for the music by quitting your day job if possible for example, you will be able to paint a better picture with your music.
2.What is the story behind your nickname?
-My real name is Ahmad and after growing up listening to a lot of Big L and Big Pun, I decided to be the next “Big” rapper and now you have me: Big A.
3.From what I understand you’ re of Lebanese origins. To what extend is your music bridging your country of origins with the Detroit style?
-I love that you said -Detroit Style- cause Detroit got so much style and so many international music pioneers. The bridging of styles and cultures is all over my music. A local Hip hop producer: Zhao-Ski (who’s my music mentor in a lot of ways) played a huge role in initiating my recording career and he introduced my 1st album Conscious Gangsta to the music scene in the summer of ’08. One way to really answer this question is by watching the music video of the song Same Struggle which showed how the 2006 Lebanese war can be put in the same video with the struggles of Detroit city.
4. What is your opinion about fellow Detroit Lebanese rapper Merciless Amir? Do you like his style?
-Wow I really respect that you know Detroit’s history like that. I’m really still learning myself and it’s amazing when you look at the influence that such artists like Merciless Amir had on our favorite rappers in Detroit. This made me make a phone call to my homie Mudd from 5 ELA and the conversation extended to almost 2 hours. He told me to look up the song “A Day Without A Rhyme” by Merciless Amir and was showing me how he was like the Rakim of Detroit! Thanks for this question yo! And also as far as Lebanon’s contributions to Hip hop, my homie DJ Lethal Skillz from Lebanon has been holding it down for quite a while and the Hip hop scene there is growing with artists that have amazing talents like MC Moe, Malikah, RGB and so many other rappers, producers and so on.
5.What is your opinion about the local Detroit hip hop scene?
-I love the Detroit Hip hop scene and I’m proud to be a humble representer of it. Last night I went to my favorite spot called 5 Elements Gallery. This spot is starting a movement thanks to DJ Sicari (the owner) who is one third of the crew 5 ELA. Piper Carter was hosting a weekly event called Foundation and it’s about bringing it back to the roots of Hip hop culture. At any moment you’ll see music heavy hitters come through like Finale, Invincible, 5 ELA, Dj Head (Eminem’s 1st Producer), Jessica Care Moore, Monica Blaire, Dwele, USM crew, Slum Village, T3, Elzhi, DJ Dez, One Be lo, Nick Speed, AML crew…. The point I want to make is: The atmosphere is amazing and the theme can vary from Break Dance lessons to Graffiti art to the vital role of Women in Hip Hop and so on. It’s just amazing to me to see positive things and positive people in the middle of going through an economic crisis. I have a big front-bumper sticker on my truck that reads: I LOVE DETROIT. “what more can I say?”
6.According to you, is it an advantage to be Detroit rooted?
-It’s a huge honor and something to be proud of to be Detroit rooted. I’m building with different groups of the community and we all love Hip hop. J Dilla, Aretha Franklin, Steve Wonder, Awesome Dre & The Hardcore Committee: They all from Detroit. There’s a lot of credit to be given and that’s a whole interview by itself but for example a lot of people don’t know Detroit is where Techno music was originated.
7.What is the most difficult challenge you had to face since you started rapping?
-Being in the States in 2006 while my family and friends were in Lebanon during the July war.
8.Which local Detroit artists have you collaborated with already?
-Zhao-Ski, Fes Roc, Miz Korona, Technique De Elite, Illite, Finale, Asylum 7, Aztec, Lab Techs, Sleepy Biggs, J Borro, Joe Nehme and some more other cats…
9.How would you define yourself as an artist?
-I spit that real grimy gangsta rap combined with the humility of being God’s servant. I reach out to everybody and I love making songs with different artists from all around the world. I’m just here to learn and I’m down with creating a new revolution based on respect and honesty while taking over the world.
10.According to you, what makes you appear as unique on the Detroit scene?
-The way I represent Lebanon to the fullest and stay true to my Arab Heritage and our Palestinian cause.
11.Who is your biggest influence on the local scene and why?
-Of course I’m very influenced by all Detroit artists but Zhao-Ski has been consistently my mentor through all this journey. We’ve developed an amazing stage show together and he’s been bringing a lot of knowledge and wisdom to the table.
12.Could you summarize your work since you started rapping within a few lines, especially for the readers who don’t know you well?
-I’ve shared the stage with the best local and international performers. The musical collaborations have been non-stop. Most importantly,my album “CONSCIOUS GANGSTA” speaks for itself. Please check me out @ WWW.MCBIGA.COM
13.What are your current musical projects?
-There will be surprise joint projects coming soon with a couple artists I look up to. And I’m also working on new Big A solo material. If any beat-makers want to provide beats, my email is mcbiga@yahoo.com and you can go to facebook.com/mcbiga
14.Which Detroit artist(s) (you haven’t collaborated with yet) would you envision a collaboration with?
-5 ELA, Invincible, One Be Lo, Black Milk, and Elzhi to name a few…
Thank you for the interview.
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Big A will be my guest for the Eminem blog…stay tuned:)

Global rating of the product:4 stars
Any writer who would pendown articles about Marshall Mathers without mentioning his hometown or the Detroit hip hop scene would be in the wrong. Eminem is deeply rooted into Detroit. In his brand new video release, the brilliant emcee will take you for a walk at the Tiger stadium in the middle of demolition works. Now that it’s gone, Eminem’s video offers some remembrance to the outside viewers who didn’t have a chance to see the monument. With its loads of abandoned structures, its cement buildings and his manufacturing industries, Detroit might seem austere to the outsider. But one has to remember that the D-town is also the place of birth of Motown records and that its hip hop scene is pretty much alive.
Like the magical Phoenix, the town of Detroit has the potential to rise from its ashes.
A lot of groupies might be obsessed with his external appearance, but Eminem is taking you for a walk into a world in which only inside beauty matters. His universe is made of symbolism and metaphors and you listeners have to catch the meaning behind his words.
Like Detroit City, Eminem shows us how an individual can dig into his internal ressources in order to resurrect his personal treasures.
With the tornado of negative events that disturbed his life since 2005, and Deshaun Holton aka Proof’s death in particular, Eminem was drowning in his sorrow, he often felt like life wasn’t worth living and sought some solace in taking pain killers.
Pain killers didn’t help him soothe his daily spleen; they just took him a step closer to self hatred and doubts, to the hell of another near death experience. In short, Eminem had hit rock bottom once again- to the point he doubted his own rapping abilities.
Maybe he was about to retire, but the little flame that ignited his passion for rap music was still burning.
In the Beautiful video, Eminem gets very introspective, so introspective that he is not reachable. He crosses people on his road, but avoids eye contact and conversation. When you reach the depth of desolation, only God can listen.
At the time Eminem wrote his song, he was facing times of trouble in which the demons of the past would resurface.
To all of you who would be tempted to judge Marshall Mathers, the artist sends an insightful message: “walk a thousand miles in my shoes”.
From his unstable upbringing to his present life, you don’t really know all he has been through.
While being very personal, Eminem’s message is quite universal. It reaches out to a wide range of people of all races and from all continents. It could be summarized in one sentence: “don’t let them bring you down”.
Rather than wasting your time on the external beauty attributes, let your eyes embrace the universal inside beauty of mankind.
The way Eminem handled this video is impressive. It was very emotional to watch it from the beginning to the end. As the outstanding artist he actually is, he resurrected his craft from the ashes. Wow. Remarkable piece of work!
Copyright by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved

Watch it here.
I’m not so fond of the Beautiful song in itself…but with this video, I was like ‘wow’…All I can say is that Eminem is truly a genius…this video raised tears in my eyes.
Despite my busy schedule, a review is coming soon:)
Isabelle

Although this song is not my fave, this exerpt looks quite emotional. Have a look here.