First Class - Talkin' Bout [Official Video]

Another smooth, new video from the First Class homies out of Buffalo, NY.

J. Cole's debut album..............

......................Finally has a release date......September 27th. It was be title Cole World: The Sideline Story. Thoughts? Will it be worth the wait? Will he bounce back with a better second single? Do you believe the album will really drop this date or suffer another push back? Let me know in the comments section, or leave it in my mentions (@djayare).

SONG REVIEW: Drake- Trust Issues

Ask anyone who's known me for a while....Drake used to be my favorite rapper around 2008-2009 up until he signed with Young Money. Not that I have anything against YM but I felt like his music became watered down and just wasn't the same after the deal, other than his solo efforts. I grew tired of feature after feature that all sounded exactly the same from someone who I felt had potential to run the rap game lyrically with the right people around him. But lately I feel like Drake is starting to gear away from the repetitive features and focus back on ill solo joints. With Dreams Money Can Buy leading off about a month ago and Marvin's Room dropping last week, Drizzy's set the pace for a fun summer/fall leading up to the release of Take Care in October.

Trust Issues was a song that Drake did for fun when he was writing his verse for "I'm On One", which makes it that much more impressive. Not much effort was put into it but it's still better than a lot songs you'd find on most rappers albums. At first the song starts out kind of slow to me. I love 40's production on almost everything so there's no problem there, but I didn't think him singing the hook from "I'm On One" was really necessary. Not like we don't hear it 72 times a day on the radio or on the internet. But that's really the only down point in the song to me. He talks about showing his main how to mix his lean in his verse and how she's the only one that he trusts to do that because there are a lot of women out to get him. Of course he's talking about drinking but it's bigger than that. The big picture of this verse is that you really can't trust most people so it's always good to have that ONE person that you know has you. It's more than just pouring lean.

The rap verse is cool, there's a couple lines that stand out but nothing too crazy. "Tell me how the fuck we're supposed to stay friends, when you got a bunch of feelings that you don't show." is really the only line that made me think. Most people can relate to something like this at one point or another.

The last little bridge at the end says a lot with him using very few words. "That's that shit that drives me crazy, and that's all that I've been getting lately...and that's probably why I'm scared to put the time in." "Looking for some things and I think that I can find them in you." I've gotten used to Drake being able to get his point across without saying too much, that's one of the many reasons he stands out more than most rappers lyrically these days.

Drake showed how powerful he his and how he has a grip on his audience last week with the release of Marvin's Room. With more releases like what he's been putting out lately, I truly believe Take Care will make him  two for two on albums with classic potential.

SPINS: 4/5

Video: 2 Chainz- Feeling You

One of my favorite tracks of Tity Boi's Codeine Cowboy gets the visual treatment. Straight boss shit in this one right here.

Jae Skeese- Radio (Official Video)

New video from the homie out of Buffalo, NY; Jae Skeese (@JaeSkeese716). Hit up www.jaeskeese716.com and download his two solo mixtapes as well as other F1rst Class offerings.

CONCERT REVIEW: Dom Kennedy & Big K.R.I.T.

Last night (April 16th) I had the opportunity to travel down I-40 and check out Dom Kennedy & Big K.R.I.T. at Aggie Fest 2011. While A&T's our rival and all, I have to take my hats off to them for being able to bring Dom to NC for the very first time. To make it even better, the show was free! Two of my favorite emcees at one venue, and I didn't have to come out of pocket at all! This was my third time checking out K.R.I.T. within the past six months, he's becoming a regular in the 336 and I have no problem with that. This was my first time seeing him perform since R4 dropped last month, so it's needless to say that I was kind of gassed.

Dom's set definitely didn't disappoint, he had the whole building rocking with him, even though some of the crowd wasn't familiar with his music. Most of the crowd was though, and that's impressive considering he's an underground artist from a completely different coast, with no albums released to this date. He opened the show with "Choose Up", one of my favorite tracks off From the Westside with Love, and it definitely set the pace for a good set. After that he continued with a couple other tracks off of that tape, including one of my favorite tracks ever, 1997. He then jumped into a few old tracks off of his first tape, 25th Hour. I'm not gonna lie and act like I was the biggest Dom fan back when those first dropped, but it was cool seeing him perform them and see that he's BEEN doing this, the old tracks are just as good as ones you might find on FTWWL or any other new material that he may have put out since then. To round off his set he jumped into a few songs off of his latest release, The Original Dom Kennedy. Those tracks included Playas Punch, Turn Me Out, CDC, and most importantly my favorite song off the tape, Designer Shit. I'm glad he lived up to all of my expectations with his performance. He had good stage presence, a lot of energy, and kept everyone in the crowd interested. He even brought a young lady onto the stage at one point and spit a few bars at her. My favorite part about Dom's music is the cockiness/swag behind it, it's impossible to listen to ANY of his songs without feeling yourself a little bit afterward. But at the same time his bars are always on point and he always gives us a quality product. If you're not familiar with his music I'd recommend that you check out his blog here and catch up on what you've been missing out on.

I think I've written a review each time I've seen Big K.R.I.T. & Big Sant so this is nothing new to y'all. The good thing about their sets is that they keep getting better and better. K.R.I.T. always refreshes his sets when he comes to town so that we're not seeing the same thing over and over. Of course they started off with the classic "Return of 4eva" off of the K.R.I.T. Wuz Here tape, it's only right. Throughout the rest of his set (which was quite lengthy to my surprise) he mixed tracks from 2010's album and 2011's release. I knew what to expect with the Wuz Here tracks, those included Country Shit (with a medley of David Banner's Like a Pimp in the 2nd verse),  Just Touched Down, Hometown Hero, Moon & Stars, Glass House, and my personal favorite Children of the World. Though I'd seen him do each of those before, all the energy that he brings to the stage made it easy for me to enjoy them a third time. The best part of the show was him performing the newer tracks of course. He dove into all sorts of tracks off of R4 which included the R4 Theme Song, Dreamin', Rotation, My Sub, Sookie Now, Made A lot (with Big Sant ripping his verses), Player's Ballad, and my favorite song on the album Time Machine. After this show I'd say K.R.I.T. is definitely my second favorite rapper (you all care right?) behind Lupe. The only rapper I've seen in person that's put on a better show than him is Kanye West, and that's saying something. If you've been under a rock these past couple of years, you can check out Live Mixtapes and download K.R.I.T. Wuz Here and ReturnOf4eva, definitely won't be disappointed.

If you were here in the 336 area and you missed out on the show, you lost. If you've yet to check out K.R.I.T. in concert, I encourage you to do so next time he's in your area. Most it will cost you is $15-20 and it'll definitely be worth it. I'd say the same with Dom, but as I stated earlier this was his first time in NC so there's no telling when he might be back.

As always, thanks for reading. Until next time...

Vibe Magazine Contest.

What's good y'all? I recently entered my blog into a contest through Vibe magazine. The contest goes through April 16th, and the ten blogs with the most likes will be judged by a panel of established bloggers and they will pick a winner. The winner gets their own section on Vibe's online magazine and that could be a reeeally good look for me! So if you've read my site before and liked what you read, I'd truly appreciate it if you took the time out of your day to click on this LINK (or the badge at the end of the post, doesn't matter) and 'like' my blog, similar to Facebook. I appreciate any and all support that I will receive throughout the contest. Look forward to a review of Big K.R.I.T.'s Return of 4eva to drop in the next couple of days.

February 14th.

What's Valentine's Day mean to you? A day to spend and appreciate your loved one? A day to buy your mother flowers and make sure everything is alright with her? A day to be bitter because you don't have a woman/man? Or is it just another day? No matter how you may feel about today, EVERYONE feels a little different on February 14th every year. Whether you're happily in a relationship, happily single, or the bitter bitch that doesn't have a Valentine...something is on your mind today. For me Valentine's Day has always been a day of thought, whether I've had someone to share it with varies year by year. This day in particular has always made me appreciate the love all around me, whether it's been from a young lady or my family, I make sure I take time to humble myself and think twice about how good I have it. While relationships haven't always worked out for me, I've never lacked love at any point in my life.

But I'd be lying if I told y'all it's always all good on the 14th. In life you're never guaranteed a happy ending, and you've got to take your losses along with your victories, and Valentine's Day is no different. We all have our ups and our downs, but how we handle them individually will determine the winners in the end. So I respect the women out there who don't have anyone to share the day with, but haven't been on social networks whining about it and acting bitter for the past month. One time for those out there in relationships, to the women who make themselves easy to love, and my n words who hold it down for them.

I leave you with this, a new song by my brother M.e.Z, "My Love My Bitch My Future", to show you multiple sides of the spectrum. Appreciate what you have, or be patient and realize that we all have our time. Download link can be found on the right side of the music player. Happy February 14th ladies.

 My Love My Bitch My Future by M.e.Z

The Inception Boutique

Ever since I met my brother Josh Oquendo, he's always said he was gonna open a sneaker/clothing spot one day. That was like 05, and now it's 2011 and everything is finally starting to fall into place. Along with my bro Jose Rodriguez, they've got a really good thing going on. Brands are hitting them back, and they have several locations in mind already. Hopefully before 2012 hits I'll be blogging with pictures of the actual finished product to go along with the writing. As two 20 year old young men, you really have to respect them being on their grind and not only making a goal, but taking the proper steps to achieve that goal at such a young age. It's gonna be nice to have another ill spot to cop fresh shit in Charlotte right?

Anyone who is curious can hit me with questions about the store, and I'll relay the message to them. Also follow them on Twitter, @TheJoshOquendo @HoesSayJose.

Check their site for store updates as well sneaker/clothing news. Inception

LASERS Tracklist

1) Letting Go (Feat. Sarah Green)

2) Words I Never Said (Feat. Skylar Grey)

3) Till I Get There

4) I Don't Wanna Care Right Now (Feat. MDMA)

5) Out Of My Head (Feat. Trey Songz)

6) The Show Goes On

7) Beautiful Lasers (Two Ways) (Feat. MDMA)

8) Coming Up (Feat. MDMA)

9) State Run Radio (Feat. Matt Mahaffey)

10) Break The Chain (Feat. Eric Turner & Sway)

11) All Black Everything

12) Never Forget You (Feat. John Legend)


FINALLY, we have the track list for Lupe's 3rd album Lasers. Don't know about you all, but I'm excited. Thoughts?


Spotted at LupEnd

SONG REVIEW: Kendrick Lamar (Feat. Gucci Mane)- Vanity Slaves Part 2

Kendrick Lamar, also known as K. Dot, is an up and coming rapper out of Compton, California. He's had a buzz ever since the release of his Kendrick Lamar EP in 2009, and it has only been growing ever since then. After another stellar mixtape drop, Overly Dedicated, in 2010, people are really starting to catch onto how talented he really is. Right now I'd say he's one of my top 3 to 5 favorite rappers. I like how versatile he is, he can rap about issues in the environment that he grew up in, things going on in society, or he can completely switch it up and give us a fun song to vibe to. I always appreciate how he stays in his lane, he doesn't smoke so we don't see any of the all too common marijuana anthems on any of his compilations. I think he's literally the only Compton artist who has ever been relevant without claiming a gang and I really respect that about him. Individualism is something that's been lost in modern times so it's always good to see an up and coming rapper being himself and not Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, or any other popular artist. On his EP from 2009 one of the stand out songs was entitled "Vanity Slaves" in which he rapped about how we're too obsessed with material and name brands when money could be going elsewhere. I loved the first one, so I was excited to see how the second on would go.

Songs like this hit home, because you know it's about you. While he's not preaching or telling people to stop what they're doing, he definitely gets his point across. Kendrick uses himself as a personal example throughout the song. As an up and coming rapper who is quickly gaining attention, the money is starting to come in as well. From cars, to clothes, to sneakers, he's invested a little change to them all. He makes subtle jokes throughout the song about how we NEED these material items just to maintain in society. Whether it's to remain relevant in the media, or things like pursuing women....a name brand and a nice ride is going to definitely help you along the journey. I liked how he used Gucci Mane on the chorus to aid the song without necessarily knocking him. As a rapper who ONLY raps about vanity, Gucci added a little comic relief to an already serious, but funny song.

The things people do to seem cool in society these days are damn near ridiculous, and we're all guilty. It's like a natural instinct to purchase nice and expensive things when you first run into money. But look at the popular brands these days. Gucci, Polo, Lacoste, Levi, etc. etc. Are we helping ourselves by buying into those brands? The owners have been rich forever, why not pocket the money and advance as individuals? Naaahh, that makes too much sense. As the younger generation in society, we may be the worst. It's like all citizens of our country are free, but we make ourselves controllable with how we buy into what they want us to buy. In all honesty, I don't plan on changing my clothing brands or my spending habits anytime soon, but you have to sit back and think about the reckless spending that we do just to be seen as "fresh".

Check out a stream of the track, or even download it here at 2dopeboyz. If you haven't check K. Dot out yet, it's never too late to get on GOOD hip hop music. Do yourself a favor and check LiveMixtapes for a few offerings from him. Expect more posts centered around him in the future, with his debut album Good Kid in a Mad City set to drop this year.

SPINS: 4/5

SONG REVIEW: Lupe Fiasco (Feat. Skylar Grey)- Words I Never Said

With the release of my most anticipated album of the year, Lasers, just a little over a month away, Lupe hits us with the second single off the compilation. With the first single 'The Show Goes On' currently on countdowns and the charts, why not hit the masses with some more heat? Let's dive in.

Wow. That's about all I can say after the first listen. Dude touches on so many real life issues just in the first verse alone. It's not everyday that you see a rapper go COMPLETELY left field and say all the things that are on people's minds, but aren't brave enough to say. From war, religion, marijuana, liquor, Obama, Tupac, fear, honesty, and even television....he touches it ALL. If you listen to what he's saying he's really dropping knowledge. In today's society most of us would rather worry about irrelevant bullshit than focus on the real issues that are right in front of us every day. How often do rappers put out SINGLES like this? He's sending this to radios, shooting a video, all of that. Lyrical rap really isn't dead as long as he's around. Using your popularity to send out a good message is something that should be done more often. There are a lot of things in this society that we're sleeping on and we really need to change that. I'm not saying I'm about to become an activist or anything, that's not me, but it doesn't hurt to know what's around you.

Hottest Lines: "If you turn on TV all you see is a bunch of what the fucks, dude is dating so and so// blabbering bout such and such. And that ain't Jersey Shore, homie that's the news. And these the same people supposedly telling us the truth."

"Crooked banks around the world would gladly give a loan today, so if you ever miss a payment they can take your home away."

"I think that all the silence is worst than all the violence. Fear is such a weak emotion, that's why I despise it."

This track has me even more excited for the release of Lasers next month. His last album, The Cool, came out in December 2007 and I have yet to hear an album better than that since then. In my opinion Lupe's 2 for 2 with classic albums thus far in his career. I'm excited to see if he can pull off a rare 3 for 3. If, and when he does, people aren't really going to have a choice but to sit back and evaluate their top rapper's list. What did you all think about it? People ready to hear this kind of talk in rap music again? Let me know in the comments section, or simply tweet me (@djayare). #Lasers


SPINS: 5/5

CONCERT REVIEW: CyHi Da Prynce & Big K.R.I.T.

The other day on Sunday, January 30th, I got the chance to check out G.O.O.D. Music's own Cyhi Da Prynce & one of Def Jam's latest roster additions, Big K.R.I.T in Greensboro at Greene Street. If you follow my Twitter account you've noticed that I've been tweeting about this shit for a good month now, so obviously I'd really been looking forward to it. I'm relatively new to all of Cyhi's music just like everyone. Never heard of him until Ye signed him, but signing with Kanye pretty much speaks for itself so I figured he wouldn't disappoint. I really fucked with his Royal Flush mixtape last year so I was eager to see how he'd be in person. As many of you may know, K.R.I.T. became one of my five favorite rappers out of nowhere. K.R.I.T. Wuz Here was my favorite tape of 2010 by a long shot so any time he's in our state, you can bet money that I'll be there.

After hours of opening acts, they finally decided to bring Cyhi out around 10:30. My first impression was like "damn....son's really short", but that's irrelevant. He took control of the crowd as soon as he stepped on the stage, something NONE of the opening acts could accomplish. He opened up with a song that everyone's familiar with by now, Kanye's "So Appalled". When I first heard his verse on this a few months back I knew that he would be a problem, and ever since then I've never really heard a wack verse from him. He also dove into another one of my favorite G.O.O.D. Friday tracks, J. Cole's Kanye's "Looking For Trouble", I always thought his verse was kind of overlooked in that song simply because of how good J. Cole's was. The rest of his set he performed a few songs off of his mixtape "Royal Flush", including Fast Lane, Hero, and Livin' Wonderful. For the most part it was a solid set, I just wish he would have performed "Can't Find Love", also off of his Royal Flush tape. After seeing this solid performance, and hearing him hold his own on tracks with rappers like J. Cole, Big Sean, Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Pusha T, I really respect him and am looking forward to whatever he has in store for us in 2011.

This was my second time seeing K.R.I.T. live within the past few months, so I pretty much knew what to expect. Him and Big Sant bring a lot of energy as soon as they come onto the stage, especially by opening up with the fast paced joint "Return of 4eva". Most of the audience was rapping along to every song, so it's showing that people are really starting to fuck with him. Both times I've seen him, he's come off as a very humble dude, he reminds you at the beginning of each set that's he's just like us. I really appreciate that, because a lot of rappers these days are trying to be way more than what they really are. He performed a lot of my favorites this time around. Those include I Got Drank, Just Touched Down, Moon & Stars, Glass House, Hometown Hero, See Me On Top, Children of the World, and Country Shit. While performing Country Shit, he even jumped in the crowd and had a little mosh pit joint going. It's always real to see artists really interacting with the people that are buying their music, and he always shows appreciation, whether it's his shows or through the music itself. He's one of my favorite acts to see live and I couldn't even fathom a complaint if I wanted to. But I would like to see him perform 'King', and 'I Ain't Shit' (my anthem) at his future shows that I will be attending. Next time he's in the Carolinas, I really encourage everyone to go and check him out, even if you never really check out his music before. You might learn something, and he's definitely worth your $10-$20. Check out a quick little clip of him performing "Glass House" down below.

NEW VIDEO: I'm Iller, By: M.e.Z

Been waiting for this one, one of my favorite tracks from #SomethingSpecialNothingExtra gets the visual treatment. Ill video from @ItsM_E_Z. Directed by Khalif Guiden.

Let me know what you think on Twitter (@djayare), or in the comments section.

SONG REVIEW: Kanye West & Jay-Z- H.A.M.

Earlier today Kanye leaked the lead single from him and Jay-Z's collaboration album, Watch The Throne, which is set to release on March 1st. He leaked the album artwork sometime last week and had a lot of the online world thinking that the whole album was set to drop on the 11th. I figured it wouldn't, and it didn't, but instead we got the first single and the actual release date so I still feel like we won. I was kind of surprised to see Ye and Jay pick up a Lex Luger beat, so it was interesting to hear the way that they would handle it.

I think a lot of Lex Luger beats sound the same, and this one doesn't really stand out from the rest of his collection, but I do like the way it drops during the chorus. I like Kanye's portion, he drops a typical cocky verse. Some rappers have some of their best verses while gloating, and I think he's one of those rappers. With lines like "Just forget it, you talk it, I live it.", you could tell that Ye was feeling himself on this one. The verse was solid, but I like his part of the chorus a little more. I think he would be a good featured artist for someone rapping over a Lex Luger beat. Jay's verse is in the same context as Kanye's, a lot of gloating and different ways to say that he's living how a lot of rappers just talk. I also like the way he closed it to lead into the chorus similar to how Kanye did. I like the way both of them handled the beat and rapped over it, Lex is known more for working with southern artists so it was good to see two big artists from different regions get a beat from him.

Overall I think this is a good lead single for their album, they both sound good on it and it has big commercial appeal. We'll definitely be hearing it on the radios in the oncoming days/weeks. I can only speak for myself but I'm really looking forward to the release of the rest of the collaboration. How about y'all? Any other producers you'd like to see them work with? Let me know....