Rap Hater: Best of the Double O's - Part One

Although I am The Rap Hater and stuck in the 90's...I still am on an endless quest to find good music and can't avoid the urge to listen to new music. Which brings me to my quintessential End of Decade List...here it is.

20 Best MC's of the Double O's
The only criteria of this category is that the listed artists have released a full-length album between 2000 and 2009. They are arranged in no particular order.


01.) Andre 3000 - If the perfect MC exists, Andre 3000 is that MC.

02.) 50 Cent - Fif brought Hardcore Rap back to the Mainstream, then sang it away One pop single at a time.

03.) T.I. - Tip brought lyricism back to the South and is one of the best MC's from any region.

04.) Lil Wayne - We literally watched him grow up from child rapper to legit MC to drug addict Rock Star.

05.) Jay-Z - His old ass still can rhyme when he wants to but Blueprint 3 was a let down. I still can't brush off the commercialized stench of American Gangster, but the music was dope.


06.) Skyzoo - One of the nicest young dudes in the game. A hybrid of Jay-Z and Mos Def. The Intellectual Street Hustler with a conscious mind. He has a great ear for beats too.

07.) Kanye West - Despite his homoerotic style, inability to handle his liquor and frequent meltdowns, Ye is a great MC...one of the best.

08.) Black Thought - The Roots Frontman gets better each time they drop an album. He's the Red wine of Hip Hop.

09.) Ghostface Killah - My Favorite MC. Ghost is a BEAST! One of a kind.

10.) Jadakiss - Can't drop a good Solo album, but the flow and the voice are 10/10. He needs to cut that "Ahhhaaaaa" sh*t out though.


11.) MF DOOM - Dude is a F*ckin Weirdo! But his beats are dope, and his rhymes are humorous, deep, and 100% entertaining.

12.) Nas - Fell off briefly but bounced back with Stillmatic then Untitled. And let's not forget ETHER. That alone earns him prime real estate on this list.

13.) DMX - "Cocaine is a hell of a drug" - Rick James.

14.) Sean Price - Dude is hilarious and never disappoints with hardcore rap sh!t.

15.) Prodigy - HNIC, HNIC Part 2 and Return of the Mac are among the best of the Mobb Deep catalogue. Product of the 80's was decent too. FREE P!!


16.) Lloyd Banks - Arguably the Best member of G-Unit (including 50). Dude is a Mixtape Monster!

17.) Lupe Fiasco - Made Nerd Rap a respectable sub-genre. Dope lyrics with an Intelligent perspective on the world and the business.

18.) Mos Def - A Giant among midgets. Hard to accept that his primary job is acting. But when he gets on the mic, it's borderline genius.

19.) Common - Be & Finding Forever were damn near perfect albums. I forgave him for Universal Mind Control. Stick with Kanye, Com.

20.) Lil Fame - The lyrical half of M.O.P has been helping keep Hardcore Rap Alive! the anti-bling Anthem, Ante Up sent a powerful statement to the Hip Hop World that all that materialism and shining might get yo ass Yapped!

The Independent Droog #001

In my travels, I have grown to learn that indie music is the heart of american music...they are still hungry and willing to put art and skill over profit. Indie artists have not been jaded by the ills of the music business and are physically more capable of making quality music than their high profile counterparts. So Having said that, I have created The Independent Droog to showcase some of the good indie music that I come across.

So the first installment in The Independent Droog is from a Hip Hop Artist named Gilbere Forte. I got this via email and was immediately impressed. In a world of mediocre rhymes and fraudulent talent, it is refreshing to hear a legit MC spit over a classic beat. Although this is a "freestyle" Gilbere speaks on some relevant social issues like Fake Thug Rappers trying to live their rhymes and dabbles with some battle rap sh!t with clever wordplay and punchlines. and it helps that his beat selection is one of my favorite De La Soul tracks.

All in all, this is a solid track from a promising MC. Looking forward to hearing more from dude.

Absolute Train Wreck - Soprano Suicide

A.J. Soprano is a f*cking Douchebag. He is probably the biggest Douchebag in the History of Television. I understand that his character is intended to represent a byproduct of child neglect, dysfunctional parents and all that Dr. Phil/Oprah sh*t, but he was just so goddamn unwatchable as a character and almost ruined the show...But it wasn't until his botched suicide attempt in which his true Douchbaggery was revealed in all of it's awkward and annoying glory. Seriously, DOg? a Plastic bag and a damn Rubber Band???? If you watch this video and don't want to slap the sh*t out of AJ, then you just might be a Douchebag too...

AJ: "Help! My Arms Are Frozen!"
Tony: "A.J. "What The FUCK?!"

Great TV Moment...

Black Droog Top 10

For no apparent reason...Here are my favorite Male R&B/Soul Singers.

1.) Marvin Gaye

2.) Donny Hathaway



3.) Gil Scott Heron



4.) Maxwell



5.) Otis Redding



6.) James Brown




7.) Al Green




8.) Prince



9.) Raphael Saadiq



10.) Isaac Hayes

Pen Therapy #002

I don't even know what motivated this one, but I think it's fitting.

Pen Therapy: The Art of Written Redemption

Seems like every time a celebrity gets in trouble, they have their fake press conference apology, get dropped from some of their sponsors, admit that they have an "addiction", check into rehab, then write a book to erase all of the bullsh!t that got them into trouble in the first place. Personally, I am all about redemption and second chances and will never (almost never) be against someone getting a second chance after their apology, and/or prison sentence, But what I am against is these assholes writing sh*tty books claiming their victim role and revealing "dark" irrelevant secrets that are intended to make us feel sorry for them. ANd beyond the book, what pisses me off over all things is the F*cking Book Tour! These bastards parade around all the talk shows and news programs confessing their "guilt" and cry to Oprah and Barbara Walters about how their life has been so negatively affected. Shut the Hell up...all of this deep sh!t is just for the sake of selling a book and nothing else. It is so forced and artificial, that I can often see the dollar signs in their eyes. It is sickening. Get the f*ck outta here with that ol Scrooge MCDuck sh*t, Dog...Seriously!


Specific Examples; Andre Agassi's Meth COnfession and Tim Donaghy's (The Gambling NBA Ref) bullsh*t sob story about how much he needed help from his gambling addiction. #1) Tim Donaghy, F*ck You! You are an asshole cheating b*tch who abused power in one of the most influential roles in all of sports...I don't care who else did it, or How you think that the NBA wasn't Fair"...Your dumb ass got caught, and now you are the poster child for Crooked Refs. F*ck You. #2.) Andre Aggassi, Nobody cares that you didn't like Tennis back when you were dominating the sport...and it actually makes you come off as less remorseful and depressed as you intended, but more like an arrogant opportunist. "Yeah, I beat the sh*t out of everybody, but I didn't even care about tennis...That's just how good I really was...and I was High. NOW BUY MY BOOK!!" Plus...It happened 20 years ago and means nothing to the sport...all it does is deflate the admiration that your fans once had and make you look like a pathetic drug addict spoiled brat. If you have moved on from this dark time in your life, then why are you revisiting it for free...Nobody knew this sh*t or cared about it, until you voluntarily brought it up! Wigga, Please!


I think that is ridiculous and I am tired of this formula. It annoys the sh*t out of me and I want it to stop. In a perfect world, the writers of these books would not be allowed to earn any profit from these terrible books and maybe that would motivate future assholes decide to stop writing them...but since that will Never happen, I have decided to contribute to the issue. Which brings me to my newest web series in which I will display books that I believe should be or should have been written as Pen Therapy Books. Note to all of the dull knives and Obsessed Fans (i.e. EdgyBono) who like to throw around words like "Libel" and "Defamation of Character". All these sh*ts are fake and intended for comedy purposes ONLY. So please just laugh or shut the hell up.

Now onto business...Although I am so exhausted from constantly hearing about this story, it's inclusion in this series was an absolute must and perfect for the debut. And Now I present to you, oh my brothers, Blackdroog.com's latest Blog Series:

Pen Therapy #001 - Tiger Woods

F*ck The New York Giants...

...And F*ck Eli Manning. I hate them with all of my heart and soul. Good win B*tches...Still 3rd place.

New C'Mon Son!!!!

At long last...Mr. Ed Lover has finally released C'Mon Son #7 and it is as Hilarious as the previous 6. For once, I don't have a commentary to accompany the video, so I will let Ed do all the sh!t talking...

2Pac is the God of Rap...

I'm exaggerating, of course. But, according to CNN.com, The Vatican named Tupac as one of 12 artists to be featured on their official MySpace page. The song they selected is "Changes" which was released posthumously on a Greatest Hits ALbum, is a powerful song which showcases Tupac's political and socially conscious lyrics that set him apart from most of the rappers from his generation.



The official statement released from the Vatican regarding thier playlist was "The genres are very different from each other, but all these artists share the aim to reach the heart of good minded people," . This might not seem like a big deal, but it is a true testament to wide scope of people that Pac was able to reach in his short life.

Source: CNN.com

Message to The Average MC:

Dear Average MC...I am a beloved fan of Hip Hop Music, and I am also a self proclaimed critic/historian of the music...At this Moment, Mr. Average MC, I am here to beg you to please remove the following words from your rap lyrics. There are several reason that will be explained below.


(Picture Courtesy of Scritch And Scratch. A Very Cool website from a very talented artist. Dope Artwork...Check him out)

1.) "Dick"

Seriously, Dog...I don't give a sh!t about your penis...who's suckin it, who's riding it, who needs to "hop off" of it, how big (or little) it is, definitely don't particularly give a sh!t about what you do with it, or any other homoerotic metaphors that you choose to use in reference to your genitals. references to "Balls" are kinda funny though (no homo).

Examples:

Styles P: G'd Up Remix- "F*ck Ya'll Niggas you can S*ck my d*ck, with c** on the Tip of it" - This is by far the most offensive and disgusting visual image in all of hip hop music. Styles, What the F*ck, Dog? Are you f*cking Kidding Me, Dog?

Nas: Rewind - "I told her, "No hell"...She talkin 'bout, "Me kiss"...Bobbed her head then spit the nut back in my dick...Started suckin with no hands, a whole lotta spit
Then got up and put her bra back on her tits" THis was a Genius song in which Mr, Jones rapped a typical "Hood" story backwards, but it this event could have been described much better.

2.) "Hustlin"

Every since Jay-Z came out with his "I'm a Hustler disguised as a rapper" persona, every no name MC came out talking about how he Hustles. Just because you sold a dime bag of weed, or pack of incense, you are not a hustler. EVERYBODY is a Goddamned Hustler now. Seriously...Chill with that bullsh*t. It doesn't make you a better rapper, or give you more Street Cred. At this point, it has no meaning.

Examples:

Rick Ross: Hustlin' - "Everyday I'm Hustlin, Everyday I'm Husstlin'" [Repeat 10-15 times]

Allmusic.com Search Results for "Hustlin'"

3.) Swagger and/or Swag.

According to Merriam Webster, the definition of swagger is: to conduct oneself in an arrogant or superciliously pompous manner; especially : to walk with an air of overbearing self-confidence. Recently every rapper that popped up out of nowhere has been boasting about thier "Swag" and it has now become a buzz word to be synonymous with being cool. Here's my problem with that trend: If you constantly tell me about your "swag" you don't have any...In My eyes, at least. It sounds like you are trying to convince yourself that you indeed are swaggerific, swagtastic, but in reality you are an insecure nerd who watched too much television. Real swagger can only exist if it isn't acknowledged by the person with the swag.

Examples:

Soulja Boy - "Turn My Swag On"



4.) Hate/Hater/Hating

I did an entire Declaration of the Droog Dedicated to this bullsh!t, but It is essential for it to be included in this Post.

Black Droog: The Hypocrite

As many of you can discern, I am an avid fan of music...All kinds of music. It might even be more fitting to say that I am an addict. But as opinionated and judgemental as I am about what I believe to be good (or terrible) music, there are many albums in my massive collection that I am ashamed to own. But through that shame, I am still man enough to admit that I enjoy them on some level. Below is the top 10.

10. Chris Brown - Graffiti


I recently acquired this album for the simple fact that I am intrigued at how the Post-Domestic Violence Chris Brown has matured from his public humiliation. I have yet to listen to it, but I will give it a good Once over to determine if My Hypothesis is correct. That Hypothesis being: Chris Brown's music is made for pre-pubescent girls and Grown men have no business listening to it. I'm sure that my theory is correct, but I will be willing to admit if it proves to be wrong. In addition, except for the ridiculously tight and homoerotic pants that Chris is wearing, the Album cover is kinda cool.

9. Rihanna - Rated R


Same as above minus the note about the album cover. I also am a fan of Rihanna's style. She's not stacked physically, and she often looks like a cartoon character, but her style works for her. I also don't think she is really as bad of a singer as people say...She's no Billy Holiday, or even Beyonce, but she's not terrible in comparison to her competitors.

8. Drake - The Drizzy Effect (Mixtape)


I initially got caught up in the Drake Hype...until I listened to him. I previously copped the "So Far Gone" mixtape without hearing anything from the dude...but then I got the Drizzy Effect just because I wasn't convinced yet that dude was terribly corny and unlistenable. I was wrong about that, However...The album cover is dope, and I admit...that song "Forever" is decent. Wayne, Kanye and Eminem kill it! But other than that, I can't really say too much good about this one...or Drake in general. He annoys me.

7. Justin Timberlake - Justified


I have no business listening to Justin Timberlake. I am a damn near 30 year old, 250+ pound heterosexual black man. His music is not for me. HOWEVER, at the time that this album dropped, Timbaland and The Neptunes were the hottest producers in the business and between the 2, they did about 95% of the music on this album. The Beats on this sh!t are very very nice. So good that I don't even pay attention to the fact that there is an awful Michael Jackson Impersonator trying to ruin them.

6. Fiona Apple - When The Pawn Hits...


Awesome album. Great Production and heartfelt, soulful vocals. Fiona Apple is a very sad woman, and Unfortunately, Sadness and Mental Illness makes great art...this is a prime example of that. Standout Tracks: The Way Things Are, Love Ridden, Paper Bag, Get Gone.

5. Korn - Issues


I am probably the complete opposite of the intended audience of Korn, but this album F*ckin Rocks, Dude. These angry white boys know how to make noise sound appealing, and the obvious Hip Hop influence in their sound is evident in the hard hitting basslines, heavy drums and rhythmic rap-like vocal style. Standout Tracks: Make Me Bad, Falling Away From Me, Let's Get This Party Started, Trash.

4. Shaquille O'Neal - Shaq-Fu: The Return


I was given Shaq's first album, "Shaq Diesel" as a gift because he was and is my favorite basketball player...It was pretty cool as a novelty and I did listen to it a few times...but when His follow-up album dropped, I admit that I bought it within weeks of it's release. Why? you ask. This album was a Banger!!! Ok, I'm exaggerating. It wasn't even that good, but Shaq is f*ckin hilarious and imagine him as hardcore rapper and you have Def Comedy Jam worthy material. And not to mention, he had tracks with Keith Murray, Erick Sermon, Ill Al Scratch, and Wu-Tang CLan. At the time this dropped, I had all of those artists' albums, so why not support the Shaq joint? Shaq is a terrible rapper...I can't even lie, but the First Time I heard "No Hooks" featuring RZA and Method Man, I almost shat myself. It is a Great Song with one of the best beats of that year...In Fact...Here it is. And check how Grimey The Video is. Straight 90's gutter sh!t:



3. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand


This is by far the gayest album from the gayest band in my entire collection, but "Take Me Out" was a great rock song before it got whored out to every wack ass commercial on televison.

2. Robin Thicke - The Evolution of Robin Thicke


I got into an argument with a friend of mine when I defended this album...I said it was a solid R&B album, then I got clowned unmercifully, but I didn't back down. White Boy can "Sang". Standout Tracks: Lost Without You, Shooter, Wanna Love You.

1. Solange - Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams


I have no idea what demon from the pits of hell possessed me to get this album, and even more disturbing, I don't know what evil lil bastard in my head caused me to like this album...but it's the sh!t. It is very different from anything that popular music has to offer, and I am a bit disappointed that it doesn't get a lot of recognition. Solange has a very old, classic sound and a much more appealing style than her over-the-top Big sister. Great voice too! yup...Poppa Knowles is the best Daddy Pimp Since the Almighty Joe Jackson Himself. Standout Tracks: TONY, Dancing In The Dark, I Decided (Part 1), Valentines Day.

Declaration of the Droog - Random Booty!!

Declaration of the Droog; Article #005 - Athletes and CElebrities need to stop banging random chicks with nothing to lose...they will ALWAYS put you on blast and you will ALWAYS get Caught.



As Tiger Woods is the latest Victim, he has made this declaration more true than ever. He cheated on his wife with a miscellaneous bar skank, got caught, allegedly got beat up by his wife, allegedly tried to escape from her wrath, crashed his escalade into a tree, then his wife allegedly tried to "rescue" him while smashing his window with a golf club, Tiger remains silent about the situation in honor of privacy, then, as a final headache, the random chick opens up to the public and publishes a voicemail that Tiger allegedly left her begging her to remove her name from her phone line:



First of all...If this is a real voicemail...TIger is a Jackass. WTF does her name on her phone line have to do with how it appears in your phone? You can save the number as Bert's Butcher Shop, and It will come up on your cell phone as ummm...Burt's Butcher Shop. Unless...She was calling a land line...Did Tiger give this chick his HOME Number? Damn, homie...I hope he wasn't that stupid. After listening to it again, I think he was asking her to remove her name from the Voicemail message because his wife was randomly calling numbers on his phone. Either way, at this point, I believe that the voicemail is fake. WHy the hell would a Billionaire who is cheating on his wife with a random chick call her, leave a message, and say "Hey this is Tiger". If he was arrogant enough to think that he wouldn't get caught that is one thing, but Dude was obviously scared, so It's hard to believe he was stupid enough to leave his name on her voicemail.


Anyway, the point is that Celebrities and powerful public figures should refrain from banging random chicks that have nothing to lose. Because in the end, they will always betray you. It would be much smarter to cheat with someone who also has as much as you to lose. Because these random waitresses will only benefit from reporting to the public that "I slept with [insert married celebrity name here]". Because as we have learned with previous Tiger-like situations in the Either that, or you don't get married. How bout that? If you plan to bang random chicks like most celebrities...what benefit do you get for being married? So is the risk of losing half of your money, losing endorsements, public humiliation, or getting chased with a golf club worth some random street booty? I think not...SO since NOT bangin random chicks isn't an option for these dudes, it might be best if they don't even get married in the first place.