I Got Next pt 4 (French Montana)

Most rappers begin their careers putting work on the audio side of business and making a name for themselves through music. Fortunately for French he began behind the scenes releasing his popular street DVD series "cocaine city". Even with the platform he had built by himself French help give exposure to other rappers but also in the process created some enemies.
Somewhere around 2005 footage of junior Mafia beating on Dipset Capo surfaced on the DVD circuit through cocaine city and sparked a feud between French and the Dips specifically Jim Jones. French unknown to the public then was put in a very vulnerable position but it didn't stop him.
Opportunity came in the form of a collaborator also a former Byrd Gang/ Dipset affiliate Max B and they both began to move together as a team, with the help of Multi Platinum Producer Dame Grease.
In recent times French and Max have collaborated on many mixtapes/ DVDs together including the highly successful "cock wave". Lately they also did a song and a video with Tony Yayo & was reported that French was officially signed to Konvict Music.

With a machine like Konvict Behind French there is no telling what the future holds for the Bronx Bred Entrepreneur.

I Got Next PT 3 (Joel Ortiz & Max B)

Joel Ortiz


I believe in the future when conversations of the best lyricists come up Ortiz name will definitely be thrown around.
With a flow reminiscent of fellow Latino the Late Big Pun Ortiz is too far ahead of his time or stuck in the passed depending on how u look at it.
There is almost no more an aspiring MC needs when Dr Dre says he is a Fan of your music and this is Ortiz's reality. Unlike most Brooklyn MC's Ortiz doesn't focus too much on the gangster driven subject matter that might be standard for some if not most brooklynites, he maintains a balance that can definitely be admired.
This range was best displayed on his Koch Records released "Bodega Chronicles: The Brick" shortly after the release of his debut album Ortiz was signed to Dr Dre's aftermath. As we know Aftermath is like college basketball with very slim chances at making it to the pros but all the hype to make it seem as though. Due to a delayed project and push backs that made no sense, Ortiz opted to part ways with the Good Dr. This to me was his best move to date considering how many artists have been signed to aftermath there was no telling how long this diamond in the rough would have waited to deliver his album.
Since Joell's Aftermath release he got busy and kept himself relevant within the US and even overseas. He even found time to help put together "slaughter house" a collective of lyricist reminiscent of the "4 horsemen" including Joe Budden, Royce Da 59 & crooked I.
Will the current climate of today's music world allow Joell to shine... we shall see. Yawa!



MAX B



Before Jim Jones dropped what would be one of the biggest club records of the Mid 2000's he kept with him a secret weapon by the name of Max B. Max laid the hook Jim rode the track and they made phenomenal music together.
Unfortunately Max found himself charged in Murder case that is still pending trial. While incarcerated without bail Max signed off his publishing over to Jones who in turn put up his 1,000,000 bail and the drama began. Max accused Jim of robbing him and it was clear that they were never to make any moves together.
Nobody can deny Max's ability to pen and sing "vocoder free" hooks that blend so well with the track its like the right size gloves although due to contractual obligations Max can't get himself as far out as he would like but there is definitely an interest from G-Unit, Akon just to name a few.
Max is the perfect definition of using the internet to your advantage and for the last year plus Max has stayed relevant on every Hip hop outlet known on the Net. Viral videos, mixtapes, features that sometimes make me wonder if Max is really on trial for murder.
Hopefully he can make it passed his murder trial and take advantage of the Buzz surrounding his brand.

I Got Next Pt 2 ( Cory Gunz)

Often in life young men trying to follow the footsteps of their talented/ well accomplished fathers are often met with the skepticism and backlash even Alexander the Great was met with this same challenge. When one is trying to continue a legacy they have to accomplish twice as much as their fathers and Cory Gunz (Peter Gunz JR) has not only "Got Next" on the east coast but easily "next" period.
In 2004 an interest in Cory had the industry buzzin about this 16 year old with a word play and flow so flawless it made any MC young or old raise an eyebrow. I remember watching a Smack DVD that came out that year with a song Comfort and Joy and Boy oh boy i couldnt beleive what i was hearing.
As much as i feel he was ready 5 years ago timing is everything and if you ask me the world has yet to realize his full potential. Don't take my word for it? Jay Z cosigned Cory, Lil Wayne had an interest in signing him but based on climate and fate playing a part the chips didn't stack in his favor earlier.
Fortunately due to his young age and many who believe in him such as myself and any industry person with some sense, Cory has managed to remain relevant even though not in the mainstream but enough for him to still be a factor.
In 2008 he delivered the best remake (in my opinion) of Lil Wayne's "a millie" which quickly reestablished him as a force 2 be reckoned with. He has stayed relevant with more songs/ freestyles and features than I could care to mention and at only 21 yrs old with so much more time to grow he has definitely put in a notable effort and its only a matter of time before the world acknowledges that.

Got Next Pt 1 (Red Cafe & Hell Rell)

Why did i put this two together on the same entry? For one when it comes to style they are complete opposites and they had a brief back and forth that lasted a couple months.



Red Cafe

With a good almost 10 plus years grinding trying to get that notoriety, Brooklyn bred MC Red Cafe has quite a resume.Helping pen Busta Rhymes mega hit "Pass the Courvoisier" and a couple more Unnamed tracks for obvious reasons. Cafe has always been a hit away from being that dude so long I keep wondering why!!!
Thanks to fellow Brooklynite and Affiliate Fabolous, Cafe has managed to stay relevant, after playing Label Musical chairs through out the early 2000, from being under Mack 10's Hoobanging Records/ Capitol now he seems to have settled under the Akons Konvict Brand
Until he released paper touching a regional hit in the summer of 2008 and a star studded remix and video helped solidify him as a force to be reckoned with. Now that he is signed to Akons Convict Music and had an appearance on the Notorious Movie things are looking up for cafe we shall wait and see how it goes for him. What else!!!



Hell Rell




When the dips released diplomatic immunity I was still a non beleiver but that was until somebody let me hear the "rikers island freestyle"Hell Rell recorded over the phone when still locked up and I instantly started paying attention and so did everybody else.
The came the Infamous Camron and 50 Cent Back n Forth of 2006, Rell Jumped quikcly to defend Dipsets Boss when most of the members chose to take a neutral stand.
Much as timing plays a very big part at how the chips fall in a lot of things In 2007 after a long wait Hell Rell delivered the critically acclaimed "For the Hell of it" arguably one of the best hardcore offerings of that year.
Unfortunately due to the differences between Camron And Jim Jones the album was barely promoted and since then the diplomats have been inactive. That has neither deterred nor stopped the hungry Rell. Features of Sheek Louches silver back gorillas a follow up album and online presence have kept him relevant. Pay close attention Ruga has something to say.

I Got Next (The East Coast Edition )

This particular entry is centered around who i think has that shot at being next in the game. This week i will do the East coast edition simply because the East coast has been fairly quiet for the last few years, with the exception of a few heads here and there. Now hate it or love it the East has a standard that forces the Average MC to be waaaaaay above par just to be a factor. Therefore when it comes to lyrics the East coast Got it.
I feel different about fate of the East based on the way things are going in the game currently, Jadakiss selling 135K might be a good sign i.e Lyrics still Matter. Clearly for the last 4-5 years the East Coast have suffered a slump worse than the one they did when the west was winning cause outside 50 and Jay Z the East coast has barely produced a variety of artist we can work with.
In the Past 5 or so years a couple of Names have been popping in and out on a smack, Come up dvd here and there, Raw reports Freestyles etc I have paid close attention and the few i will mention over the course of the next 5 days have put in some work.

Microwave Music ( Processed Rap)

So I am watching BET after a long day of doing what I do (still don't know what that is) and 106 and park comes on and I am like well its been like 4 yrs since I watched the show and I figured why not.

Now mark you I am barely 26 yrs old so I still fall in the consumer category of most Musical Genres, therefore my opinion still counts, plus am one hell of a good writer.
Track number 7 begins and I completely stop to watch in amazement as some guy goes on and on about "doing the Ricky bobby"!!! Believe it or not I needed to take some days off from the blog to ask myself if or not I should even try salvaging this thing.
why why why

Anyway am in a dilemma which am sure many can relate to which basically is am I too much of an enthusiast or is the music that is out right now primarily geared towards my 12 yr old nephews.

Don’t get it twisted I am always going to be for people feeding families and getting out the hood so on and so forth but let us call a spade a spade how much do we value this musical representation?
Now am not saying I am completely against all I hear but WTF is going on with 70% of it?
Even when Hammer was catching flak from every corner there was other stuff on the mainstream that kept the balance. My issue is not with the Ricky Bobby’s, the superman’s etc; my issue is with the lack of balance in mainstream media.
The following day I log onto one of my favorite sites and Jadakiss has sold 135 k on his 1st week which is waaaaaaaaaaayyy more than most of these guys with all this radio play and airtime as a matter of fact somebody( leave the names to protect the innocent) with hella airplay and mad videos only sold 10k . Whats wrong with that picture? Those 1st week numbers told me that I am not the only one that still has a yearning for substance and a decent catalog. So the next time you see a radio programmer, Radio DJ and any other powerful Media person smack them over the head for what they are doing to our music. Just kidding, but we need to protest or something this is getting out of hand.
Now I am definitely willing to look at this objectively in that maybe I am refusing to let the music evolve or maybe I just need to accept that hip-hop is not free of change and I am all for change but not regressive change if we are going to change let us move forward not reinvent the wheel and Fire when we already have Bentleys and matches.

Rep Your Hood pt 3 (Petey Pablo)

During a time when the entire hip hop world was immersed in Jay z and Nas beefing it seemed like nothing else was going on at the time.
Fortunately for up and coming North carolina Native, fresh out of doing a 6 yr Bid, Petey Pablo was able to emerge with one of the most notable singles of 2001, the Timberland produced "Raize Up"
Petey's machine gun flow with a southern twang chanting "North Carolinaaaaaaaaaa" had the fans from all over NC and beyond chanting along.

This was to me one of the land mark songs that help lead the south to the current long running reign & a very good look for North Carolina.

Rep your Hood PT 2 (Jarule Ft Fat Joe & Jadakiss)

When u think of Hits centered around "Reppin your Hood" " New York" Ja Rule Ft Fat Joe & Jadakiss has to be on some top 10 or top 20 list somewhere because when this dropped i could have swore Ja Rule was about to end 50's career and resume his position as an A Lister.
Much as that wasn't the case this record definitely had New yorkers running around like they own the world.
I remember when this dropped i almost choked on my cereal when Jada's verse was done this is classic HipHop.
Whats really good B, Fam, son....

Rep Your Hood (UTP &Juvenile)

Outside of all the elements there is an indefinite pride in any MC to want to rep where they r from and that has been a part of the culture since forever. From KRS 1 & BDPs “south Bronx” to 2 Pac and Dr Dre’s “California Love” its always been necessary to represent where your from whether its how tough or fly or what ever the case was.

Some of the most classic records in Hip-Hop have been made based on this concept.

Below is one of my favorites

Below is one of my favorite "Rep your Hood" classic

Big shout to the whole chopper city and all my Katrina survivors

Mixtape Champ pt 5 (Lil wayne)

So what can I say about this guy that hasn't already been said, sang about, written etc. Well probably nothing. What I can do is add salt to the ocean of credits that Lil wayne is basking in.

Either way like many other people that doubted Weezy F, I have had to bite my tongue. Weezy relentessness is reminicent of (I hate to say it) 2 Pac after joining Deathrow.

There is no other artist I cant think of that has worked as hard, or released as much material and been succesful at it.After Juve, BG and Turk leaving cash money, Weezy was no more than an after thought. After trading disses with former band members he focused on finishing what he helped start building on his own.

Before the Carter trilogy Weezy embarked on a mixtape overhaul flooding the market with freestyles, exclusives and song remakes that had many including myself saying why won't he stop.Weezy is the true definition of how mixtapes were once effective in launch careers, or in his case helping boost.

So much as Lil Wayne has his issues with mixtape DJ's for exploting his brand he can definitely credit them for a potion of his current success.

Hate it or love it Wayne is definitely Mixtape Royalty.Salute the whole Young Money & Cash Money.

Mixtape Champs Pt 4 (The Clipse & Re-Up Gang)

When Pharell and Chad Hugo Introduced Brothers Malice and Pusha T (The Clipse) back in 2000 on the unreleased "Exclusive Audio Footage" through the single "the Funeral" nobody took note of what the two had to offer. Even a couple Kelis features and cameos on vaious albums couldn't help push the clipse to new Heights.
Then came 2002 the year "Grindin" dropped and the whole world was seeking a clipse feature from Birdman (what happened to that Boy) to even Justin Timberlake (Like i luv u) for the 1st single off his debut album. The clipse appeared unstoppable from Neptune beats at their disposal to a platinum album under their belt, a release date for their next release and the anticipation to boot.
Unfortunately due to internal lable drama, mergers and downsizing the Clipse follow up album set for 2004 release was shelved resulting in a very quiet couple of years and people forgetting of their once inextinguishable reign.
Fortunately for the Virginia duo the streets never fogot about the clipse and they resurfaced now backed by affiliates "sandman" & "Ab-Liva" as the Re-Up Gang. With the help of Boston based Radio DJ & Producer Clinton Sparks they set the streets on fire with their "Got it for cheap" vol 1, 2 & 3 winning over a new legion of die hard fans and helping launch the careers of their counter parts.
The mixtape series helped reestablish the Clipse as a force to be reckoned with which to this day is yet to be matched. In 2006 the rolling stone gave the clipse a position in their top 10 best albums for their critically acclaimed "Hell Hath the no fury" and XXL gave the album classic status and many agreed.
That ultimately awards them the mixtape champs on Hiphop Pulse. Virginia stand up, shout out to the whole DMV area.

Mixtape Champs Pt3 (DJ Drama &Young Jeezy)

Right around the time Lil Jon, Young Bloods, Lil Scrappy and many more Crunk Artists were putting Atlanta in the music forefront with the Crunk Movement, there was something else brewing beneath the surface just waiting to blossom into a craze that would continue to evolve to this day.
"Streets is Watchin" laid the foundation and "Trap or die" set the world on fire!!!!!!! To this day i still conisder Trap or Die Jeezy's 1st mainstream album. To me Jeezy embodies the term "dont have to bump this plus please respect it" He may not be the most rappinest rapper of all time but he gets his point across and i think that makes for good entertainment.
"Am the realest N***a in it you already know, got trapper of the year four times in a row...." that's was all u needed to hear and u were hooked. I have watched as up and coming rappers try to duplicate the formula that launched Jeezys career and it just doesnt work. Adlibs were underlying factor in song construction and since Jeezy hit the scene everybody turned their adlibs a notch or two higher.
There is not enough ways to explain just how much of a buzz Jeezy had and a a result put DJ Drama's Gansta Grillz Mixtapes on the map.
I remember when every artist coming out had to drop a Gangsta Grillz Mixtape Prior to album release.
When its all said and done Drama and Jeezy made History with their Mixtapes and hopefully they can put that BS they have going on between them right now and create another classic. The streets need it.

Mixtape Champ Pt 2 (The Diplomats)

With Mase leaving the Rap Game behind to serve God and Big L's sudden death Harlem was ready for a new heir and with Camron already established as a solo artist with 2 Gold albums under his belt it was only right he built a strong movement that jus changed NY rap scene forever.
Say what you want about The Diplomats but if there is a team that represents the grind like the dips I don't know. Not only did they help reestablish Camrons career but as a result Juelz created his own Momentum, Jim Jones followed suit, Jr writter, Hell Rell, Purple city,40 CAL, Freeky Zeeky, Max B, Byrd Gang, Skull Gang etc all began under that same umbrella.
They were able to capitalize on the mixtape circuit build a brand and branch off on their own.
The Diplomats are definitely Mixtape Royalty.

Mixtape Champs Pt 1 (G Unit)

Before the concept of vitamin water , before Shady and Dre knew they would help launch the career of one of Music's most successful artists, the streets of NY were buzzing and bootleggers were laughing all the way to the bank or mattress depending on how u look at it. G Unit along with then up and coming Mixtape DJ Whoo kid took the streets by storm.

It wouldn't be right to talk about the mixtapes without bringing up 50, Banks and Yayo. Classics like "Problem Child" "bumb dat" "round here" and "Banks Victory" just to name a few had the streets craving that G-Unit flavor.
Banks ever unpredictable punchlines, Yayo's cynical reference to gun play and 50's balance of good song contraction and use of melody forced fellow mixtape artist to incorporate more creativity.
From "50 cent is the future" to "elephant on the sand" G Unit have kept a consistent presence even after getting on.
They can definitely be considered Mixtape Royalty

Mixtape Champs

There was a time when mixtapes were a direct reflection of how much of a buzz a particular artist had around them, exclusive freestyles and unreleased album cuts that only a particular DJ would have.
Just like anything else once something works for a couple people EVERYBODY jumps on it and it changes the game forever(for the worsed).
Before mixtapes were a standard in the Game it was easy to make out which mixtapes to look out for and which artists were noteworthy then as a consumer you knew who to look out for.
So this week I intend to capture the Mixtapes, The Mixtape artist/s and DJ's that made mixtapes fun and important to the game.



Mixtapes have been used to launch some of the most Prolific careers in Hiphop and not jus artists alone even DJs have managed to make themselves viable resources to the industry.
From G-Unit, The Diplomats, Young Jeezy, Slim Thug, Chamillionare, D Block to DJ Clue, to DJ Drama, DJ Khaled the list goes on and on.
Mixtapes have definitly served a great purpose in the Game and this week we cover some of those careers from a mixtape standpoint.

Before My Time pt 5 (shyne)

I can't believe its been 10 yrs (or almost) since Shyne caught the charge that would put his promising career on hold. Now I remember when Shyne 1st hit the scene on a couple of badboy remix's and Mase's song "from Scratch" he was met with a lot of criticism and the vocal comparisons to Biggie didn't help either.
Somehow after a few more appearances and some notable records from the Brooklyn Native people changed their attitudes and immediately gravitated to "Po".
One thing you couldn't and still can't deny is how nice Shyne was and still is. To this day I watch his rap city freestyle when i feel like starting something.
Unfortunately as soon as his album was getting the necessary momentum he caught the charge and the rest is history.
Funny thing about Shyne's debut album was that it suffered due to the case interfering with the promotion but still managed to go platinum. The singles were playing and are still playing to this day. His sophomore album that was released 4 yrs into his bid in 2004 went gold within weeks and even debut at number 3 on the top 200 imagin that.
Jus imagine if the chips were stacked slightly differently.......

Before My Time pt 4 (The Outlawz)

I did say that Tupac wouldnt be included in this particular article "Before my time" article and i will keep my word. Although when Pac signed to the Row he brought along, the Outlawz (Formerly Dramacydle, then Outlaw Immortalz then simply Outlawz) featured them on virtually any track that mattered and man that was something else.
Fatal Hussein, EDI, Kastro, Young Noble, Khadafi (RIP i feel would have become an East Coast Vet), Mussolini, Napoleon & Mo Khomeini. Much as the Bi-Coastal thing was at its peak then, most of these dudes were actually from the East Coast (New Jersey to be exact) .Even though the group would remain intact after Pacs death minus a couple members i still think the Outlawz didn't capitalize effectively on the kind of buzz that Pac had built around them being free agents at the time and having been featured on "hit em Up" "Hail Mary" and a million other pac songs i feel like they missed out big time on what could have been a very great opportunity.
Being young at the time definitely might have been a problem but ultimatlely every rap group since then, 50 Cent (G-Unit), Cam'ron (Dipset), The Lox (D-Block) etc have used that same model to try break their proteges.

Before my time pt3

Before Mase before camron before people gave Harlem props for more than the Apollo Big L was that dude.
After starting as 1/4 of the Group children of the corn a group that included neighbourhood friends Killa "Camron", Murda "Mase" & his Late cousin Bloodshed, Big L finally broke off to do his solo thing but still kept close ties with and even including them on his 1st solo joint.
I feel as though L was at the same level as Biggie and Jay Z his debut album
Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous barely got the push it needed. L was very much a pioneer with classic , freestyles, punchlines and a sick flow.
Lines like "when it comes to getting/ nookie am not a rookie/ I got girls that make that b****h Toni braxton look like whoopie"
"Ask beavis I get nothing buthead"
Right before he was gunned down he had established his Flamboyant entertainment brand and he was also negotiating a major label deal with Rocafella/defjam. Before the Roc considered adding Camron to the roster Big L's Name was also thrown around.