New Balance Interview

http://www.hiphopgame.com/index2.php3?page=balance2



I don't know if it's cuz my computer is on crack...but I couldn't copy/paste any of the interview from the website.



Balance talks about his future projects, including his mixtape, the CD coming out with Big Rich, and his next solo album which he says he doesn't want to drop until next year. He talks about working with Midi Mafia, bridging the gap between the east and west coast, his last album, and what he's trying to do for his next one.

Turf Talk and Federation Release Dates

As far as I know, Turf Talk's "West Coast Vaccine" is still set to drop June 5th. Members of the Siccness.net forum who claim they have heard it are saying nothing but good things about it.

As for the Federation, it seems as if their album, "It's Whateva," has now been pushed back to July 17th...althought I don't know if this is official, it would make sense because no one outside the bay even knows they have a new album coming out.

Rydah J. Klyde and Fed-X: Money Over Bitches

I gave this album a couple of quick listens...and I have to say it's pretty shitty. I haven't listened to the lyrics too closely, but the sound quality is CRAP.

A couple of tracks I did like:

Neva B The Same
http://www.zshare.net/audio/204700672177cf/

C-U-N Tha Streets
http://www.zshare.net/audio/204722383d1b75/

Mistah F.A.B. Fans

Too many of my posts lately have been about Fab and Da Baydestrian...so I'll just post any new articles I find on him in the near future in here.

Hiphopdx.com article: Yellow Bus Ridah
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/features/id.778/title.mistah-f-a-b-yellow-bus-ridah

Hiphopdx.com review: 4/5
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/reviews/id.799/title.mistah-f-a-b-the-baydestrian

Allhiphop.com article: Mistah F.A.B. get smart
http://www.allhiphop.com/features/?ID=1822

Allhiphop.com review: 3/5
http://www.allhiphop.com/reviews/?ID=1201

Unda Dogs- Wassup (ft. Mistah Fab)

The "Unda Dogs" (Balance and Big Rich) leak a second song off the album/mixtape. They get help from Mistah Fab on this one.

Download Link: http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/media/audio/balance_and_big_rich-wassup_ft_mistah_fab_(westcoastrydaz).mp3

Their project is due out June 26th with features from Ya Boy, Glasses Malone, Coolio Da Unda Dogg, Scipio, Planet Asia, Big tuck, Kaz Kyzah, Mistah FAB, Papoose, and Dutch.

Sales Update

Mistah Fab's "Da Baydestrian" is #177 on the Billboard chart after it's first week in stores. A bit disappointing in my opinion, but still not too bad for an indy album.

Edit: Official Sales Numbers are 4,395. I was expecting closer to 10,000 (shows how much I know)...people need buy shit they like after downloading it.

New Releases for 5/22/07

There's a bunch of new Bay Area releases today..but nothing really major.
*note: although these are all scheduled to be released May 22nd, some of these may not actually drop today*


Artist: J-Diggs
Title: Ghost Ridin' 101
Label: Thizz
Track List:
1) Hangin' Out The Sunroof ft. J-Diggs, Bleu DaVinci, Shigadi
2) Barn ft. J-Diggs, Bunee, Meezy, Montana, Askari X
3) 2 Fly 4 That ft. J-Diggs, Fendi Boyz
4) The Crest ft. Dubee
5) My Bitch ft. J-Diggs, Tracy T, Shiggady, Baygreen
6) Work ft. Bleu Davinci
7) I'm A Gangsta ft. J-Diggs, Cash, Ridah J. Klyde
8) Crestrider Rider ft. Crest Creepas
9) Shemygo ft. J-Diggs, Mac Dre, Reek Daddy, Mr. Skril
10) Shoot 'Em Up ft. J-Diggs, Baygreen, Boss Hogg, Dubee
11) Got 2 Get Away ft. J-Diggs, Treal Real, Sleep Dank
12) I See You ft. Yung Bruh, Rondo
13) My Senority ft. Meezy Montana, Thizz Dragons, Haji Springer
14) Gangsta Ways ft. J-Diggs, Tril Real, Yay Boys
15) Stuntaholic ft. MisStory, Lil Dank
16) The Call ft. J-Diggs, Thizz Kidz
17) What It Do ft. Turf Talk, Haji Springer, Jacka
18) Uuuuuugh!! ft. J-Diggs, Meezy Montana, Thizz Dragons, Baygreen
19) Bonus


Artist: J-Diggs/Mac Dre
Title: Me & My Cuddie
Label: Thizz
Track List:
1) Romp't Out ft. Da Unda Dog
2) Murder He Wrote ft. Mac Mall
3) Crest Shit ft. Dubee, Sleep Dank
4) West Coast Pimpin' ft. Bully Wiz
5) Here Ho (skit)
6) Don't Ask Me Shit
7) Always Into Something ft. Sleep Dank
8) Rapper's Island ft. Rydah J. Klyde
9) Another Thug ft. Mac Mall
10) Casual ft. Dubee
11) Masters Of The Game ft. Da Unda Dog
12) Panties Off ft. Vital
13) Diggs Dance
14)Bonus


Artist: Ampichino
Title: AP.9 Of The Mob Figaz Present Ampichino City Of Godz
Label: Mob Shop Ent.

Artist: AP.9/Husalah
Title: Without My 5
Label: Mob Shop Ent.

Artist: Dubb 20
Title: Jacka Presents Dubb 20
Label: Sumo

Federation- Collge Girl

This is supposed to be the "official" single off Federation's album. It should get a video and promotion and all that good major label stuff.

http://www.zshare.net/audio/college-girl-mp3-et6.html


Link jacked from http://slapzandsuch.blogspot.com/

Article On Messy Marv And The San Francisco Rap Scene

This is taken from SFGate.com, read the entire article here: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/15/DDG47PPKBT1.DTL

It talks about Messy Marv, why it's difficult for an artist from SF to blow up, and the role of violence in the city.

Here's just a small section of the article:

But instead of promoting his album, Messy will spend the next nine months behind bars. (At first, says SMC's Will Bronson, the rapper was facing 10 years; the relatively short sentence, he claims, is proof the judicial system believes "he's not a career criminal.")
According to Bronson, Messy's work ethic is such that he doesn't have time for extracurricular activities. "Every time I call him, he's in the studio," Bronson says, adding that the rapper has put out four albums this year and has at least three more scheduled for 2007.
Even so, the company he keeps has gotten Messy into trouble on at least one previous occasion; in 2000, he was riding in a car in Kansas City with local rapper Fat Tone, Sacramento's C-Bo and Vallejo's Mac Dre when an unknown vehicle opened fire, wounding Fat Tone. (Fat Tone was later implicated in the 2004 murder of Mac Dre, and was himself slain in 2005 in what police have called a retaliation killing.)
As Epps explains, street credibility means everything in the rap game. With gangster rap especially, listeners want to know, "is this n -- real, where's he coming from?" When your entire persona is based on being in the streets, he says, "you can't just cut the cord" and remove yourself from the community altogether.
For his part, Messy's well aware that his run-ins with the law haven't helped his chances of scoring a major-label contract. However, he says, "You have to understand that we're human beings, man, and you can't blame a person for being a product of their society." He's thankful to SMC and its distributor, Fontana/Universal, "for giving us an outlet to even stay out here and provide a way to feed our families."
But frustration is evident in his voice as he talks about the state of San Francisco's rap scene. "It's like, damn, when is somebody gonna give us a chance to reach that plateau so we can really start reaching out to the people in the community and start turning this s -- into something positive?"

Mistah F.A.B.- Da Baydestrian (Review)

Artist: Mistah F.A.B.
Label: SMC/Thizz
Title: Da Baydestrian

Track List:

1) Baydestrian
2) Sideshow (Remix) ft. Too Short, Keak Da Sneak
3) Life On Track ft. J-Nash
4) Jamonie Robinson
5) Furley Ghost
6) Crack Baby Anthem ft. Messy Marv
7) Fight Music
8) On Yo' Way ft. Too Short, Dyson
9) Shorty Tryin' To Get By ft. Gennessee
10) Race 4 Ya' Pink Slips ft. Spice 1, Keak Da Sneak
11) Dem Cars
12) Get This Shit Together
13) Can't Wait ft. Dogwood
14) Feelin Fine ft. Dogwood
15) Goin' Crazy ft. Fabo (D4L), Too Short, 2 Dolla
16) Deepest Thoughts
17) 100 Bars

My Rating: 4/5

My Review:

My biggest concern with this album was that F.A.B. might use hyphy terms we've been hearing on most hyphy songs the past few years too much. The first track did nothing to ease this concerns, as he throws around terms like "yellow bus" and "scraper" in almost every bar. Luckily, this wasn't a problem the rest of the album. In fact, this is one of the more well rounded albums you'll ever hear. As expected, there's hyphy shit, but there's also a lot of conscious shit as well (as people who heard Son Of A Pimp should have expected). Oh, and by the way, if you haven't heard F.A.B.'s last album, buy this one and you get a download link to the previous one. Back to the review...F.A.B. follows up the first track with another hyphy song that most of us already heard with "sideshow", except we get a brand new verse from Keak. After that the album changes pace and goes to some deeper songs, including "Jamonie Robinson" where F.A.B. talks about a close friend who passed away. "Furley Ghost" isn't a bad song, but I think it's one only the kids are gonna feel. "Crack Baby Anthem" is one of the highlights on the album, and Messy Marv delivers a guest verse. "Fight Music" has a nice beat...and has potential to start riots if it's ever played in a club, but F.A.B. doesn't really have the tought voice/image to be making songs like this. The next two songs are inspirational, and work well. F.A.B. changes pace again and goes upbeat with "Race 4 Ya Pink Slips" and "Dem Cars". Most of you have already heard "Get This Shit Together" and it sounds just as good as it did when it first leaked online. "Can't Wait" has a slapppppin beat, the hook doesn't sound that great though and kinda kills it. "Goin' Crazy" has potential to be the song that blows Mistah F.A.B. up, it's got that mainstream sound. He has to try to push this one, I've heard it on the radio one time so far. F.A.B. finishes the album with some deep/conscious shit that should get him respect from most hip hop fans. The production on this album is great, Rob E came through real nice, especially since I'd never heard of him until this year.

A Couple of Songs:

Goin' Crazy- http://www.zshare.net/audio/15-mistah-f-a-b-goin-crazy-feat-fabo-2doll-rgf-mp3.html

100 Bars- http://www.zshare.net/audio/17-mistah-f-a-b-100-bars-rgf-mp3.html

Planet Asia- Havin Thangs

Planet Asia- Havin Thangs
http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/media/audio/planet_asia-havin_thangs_(westcoastrydaz).mp3


He's not exactly from The Bay, but Fresno is close enough. This is the single off his upcoming album, Jewelry Box Sessions, due out June 26th.

Here's a video for the same song:

Eve Featuring Ya Boy- Tambourine (Remix)

I don't know if this is an official remix of if Ya Boy just added a verse on his own. I'm really not a big fan of Swizz Beatz, but I can lightweight dig this.

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.2099/title.eve-f-ya-boy-tambourine-rmx

Ya Boy- Holla At Ya Boy (GSW Warriors Remix)

Ya Boy- Holla At Ya Boy (GSW Warriors Remix)
http://www.zshare.net/audio/ya-boy-gs-warriors-holla-at-ya-boy-remix-mp3.html



Warriors down at the half...hopefully they can come back.

Mistah F.A.B.'s "Da Baydestrian" gets an XL

You can read the entire review at http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=9912 and you can listen to the entire album right now on Mistah F.A.B.'s myspace right now as well. An XL rating is the second best rating that XXL magazine gives out, so this is very nice. Just to put it in perspective, two of the other albums reviewed this month were Paul Wall's and Bone Thugs albums...both only recieved an L rating.

"After gaining regional acclaim with his 2005 disc, Son of a Pimp, Mistah F.A.B. became a hyphy poster boy. It wasn’t long before Atlantic Records came calling. But the Oakland raider’s major-label breakthrough recently hit a hurdle when his “Ghost Ride It” video was banned for illegally using the Ghostbusters logo. So with plan Atlantic on pause until things cool down, F.A.B. goes back to plan Bay and releases his latest indie effort, The Baydestrian.

F.A.B. never fails to provide color commentary on life in the O, especially on the Rob E–produced title track and the Messy Marv–guested “Crack Baby Anthem.” Sticking close to his roots, Da Yellow Bus Rydah pays tribute to his Thizz mentor, Mac Dre, on the slow-rolling “Furley Ghost.” Yet, while the music sounds solid, the headliner sometimes gets overshadowed by his elder statesmen. Spice 1 and Keak Da Sneak show Fabby Davis Jr. how to put the pedal to the metal on the hyperactive “Race 4 Ya Pink Slips,” while Too $hort takes the reins on the Traxamillion-helmed “Sideshow (Remix).”

Hyphy, however, is an acquired taste, and not every dose is fit for mass consumption. Cuts like the overaggressive “Fight Music” and the Ritalin-induced “Can’t Wait” will get lost on the casual listener—a fact F.A.B. accepts on the latter, spittin’, “A little futuristic, but pimpish/Only a few of you will get this/Some of y’all truly will miss this/But I better be on your No. 1 hit list.”

It’s when he steps outside his Bay boundaries that F.A.B. shows signs of living up to his boasts. Personal songs like the stormy “Life On Track” and “100 Bars,” a six-minute oratory on the African Diaspora, reveal an MC willing to bare his soul. The piano-drenched “Deepest Thoughts” sums up F.A.B.’s mind state best: “I pump love in my songs, you say I am hate/I am real, but still you say that I am fake/Sooner or later we realize I am great.”—MAURICE G. GARLAND"

New Bay Area Group- "101"

Taken from westcoastrydaz.com:

"Comprised of Cousin Fik (Sick Wid It Records), Infamous J Davinci (Done Deal), Costell (fka Mr. Riddla), and Global, the four fierce MCs were brought together by producer Cozmo to become a part of this 101 phenomenon. "They were all my individual homies and were dope so I put everyone together. Some of them didnt even know each other. I just felt these were the most talented artists that were not fully exposed that I was working with", explained Cozmo of the group."

Here's a couple of tracks:

Git Ya Gone- http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/media/audio/101-git_ya_gone_(westcoastrydaz).mp3

That Boy- http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/media/audio/101-that_boy_(westcoastrydaz).mp3

Read more at http://www.westcoastrydaz.com/news/50782/
Cozmo is a sick producer, so if he's involved with it, whatever they put out should be heat.

Listen to Mistah F.A.B.'s "Da Baydestrian" For FREE

Mistah F.A.B. is the featured artist on myspace, so for a limited time, you can listen to every song off Da Baydestrian on his page at http://www.myspace.com/mistahfab

AP.9 (Mob Figaz)- "Bring It To Em" Video

This song is off the album "On Tha Block" which is currently in stores. This isn't a high budget video, but it's still cool and the song slaps.

Mistah F.A.B. Interview With XXLmag.com

This is the intro to the Interview..

Mistah F.A.B. is the self-elected “spokesperson of this hyphy shit.” A disciple of the late Mac Dre—who many credit as the Godfather of the hyphy movement—the Oakland native released his first indie album, Nig-Latin, in 2002. That was followed by 2005’s Son of a Pimp, which included the Bay Area smash, “Super Sic Wit It.” The following year, the hyphy movement exploded nationwide thanks to E-40’s hit, “Tell Me When to Go.” Suddenly, Oakland became a hip-hop hotbed, prompting labels to jump on the hyphy bandwagon. Taking note of his talents and regional success, Atlantic Records quickly scooped up F.A.B., who was set to make his major label debut with Da Yellow Bus Rydah. However, the album’s lead single, “Ghost Ride It,” got surrounded in controversy late last year when two men died in separate incidents of ghost riding—the practice of dancing alongside or on the roof of a moving car that was shown prominently in F.A.B.’s video. As a result, BET and MTV banned the video from rotation, and any momentum the song had was further stifled when Columbia Pictures threatened to sue F.A.B. for using the Ghostbusters car and logo in the clip. While Atlantic waits for the dust to settle, the 25-year-old MC decided to hold fans over with Da Baydestrian, an independent album on SMC Recordings dropping on May 15. XXLMag.com caught up with Mistah F.A.B. to discuss both of his albums, today’s generation of hip-hop fans and the future of hyphy.

Read the interview here: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=9744

One thing I have to say about the interview....Mistah F.A.B. isn't afraid to say what he really thinks.

Mistah F.A.B. Does Song With A European Electronica Group

This isn't something most of you would play...but I thought this was interesting.

Groove Armada ft. Mistah F.A.B.- Hands Up
http://www.zshare.net/audio/17-groove_armada-hands_up-mp3.html


T.B.I.B.??

April 2007- Bay Area Hip Hop Month In Review

Finally we have a month with a good amount of activity, althought no real major albums dropped.

Highlights:
We got pretty decent albums from Husalah and Black C (RBL Posse).
San Quinn released the single "Do Ya Thizzle" (prod. by Traxamillion)
Ya Boy released the single "Holla At Ya Boy" (prod. by Cool & Dre)
Frontline released a slapper with "I.M.G."
The highly anticipated video for Traxamillion's "From The Hood" was released

Lowlights:
Haji Springer's gimmick

Things To Look Forward To In May:
Mistah F.A.B.'s "Da Baydestrian", May 15th.
Several Mob Figaz and Thizz projects are scheduled to be released May 22nd (we'll see if that really happens) and that Messy Marv/Mitchy Slick album "Messy Slick" is due out that day as well.