The JULY'10 soundtrack! Bonus: Έλενα Παπαρίζου Live @ Θέατρο Πέτρας

Eίναι μόλις λίγες ώρες αφότου τελείωσε η συναυλία της Έλενας Παπαρίζου στο Θέατρο Πέτρας, και δεν ξέρω κατά πόσο μπορεί κάποιος να ξεπεράσει εύκολα κάτι τέτοιο. Η φωνή της καταπληκτική (καλύτερη από το cd), η θετική της ενέργεια, αύρα, γλυκύτητα και χαμόγελο να πλημμυρίζουν κάθε στιγμή. Πρώτη φορά την έβλεπα σε συναυλία (το MAD Secret Concert δεν πιάνεται) και ειλικρινά έχω πάθει πλάκα. Δεν είναι καθόλου τυχαίο γιατί έχει φτάσει τόσο ψηλά.

Τα σκηνικά, οι οθόνες LED, οι χορευτές, το setlist, ήταν όλα τέλεια. Η Έλενα ερμήνευσε όλες τις επιτυχίες της: "Aν ήσουν αγάπη", "Η καρδιά σου πέτρα", "Ψάχνω την αλήθεια", "Πυροτεχνήματα", "Πόρτα για τον ουρανό", "Αναπάντητες κλήσεις", "Gigolo", "Μambo", "Τhe game of love", "Πάντα σε περίμενα", "Θα'μαι αλλιώς", "H αγάπη σου δε μένει πια εδώ", "My number one", "Τρελή καρδιά", "Αν είχες έρθει πιο νωρίς", "Σε ποιον να μιλήσω", "Παραδείγματος χάρη", "Μαζί σου", "Είσαι η φωνή", "Υπάρχει λόγος", "Το φως στην ψυχή", καθώς και κομμάτια από το νέο της album "Γύρω από το όνειρο", με κορυφαία στιγμή η διαστημική Έλενα στο "Dancing without music" όπως είχε παρουσιαστεί στα MAD Awards, καθώς και το "Φυσικά μαζί" με τους Onirama.

H Έλενα εκτός από πρωτότυπες διασκευές σε τραγούδια της, ερμήνευσε εκπληκτικά το "Rude boy" της Rihanna, "Sweet dreams" της Beyonce, "Sober" και "So what" από την Pink, ένα medley από το "Grease", "Δεν θέλω" των Μπλε κ.α., ενώ όπως είπε και η ίδια, ερμήνευσε για πρώτη φορά σε συναυλία το εκπληκτικό "Να ξυπνάω και να'μαι μαζί σου" από το soundtrack του "Μαζί σου".

Το soundtrack του μήνα είναι ντυμμένο με photos από τη συναυλία της Έλενας (κάντε κλικ πάνω τους για μεγέθυνση), κι ελπίζω να σας αρέσουν! Καλό μήνα να έχουμε!!!!!

BEST SONGS OF THE MONTH

@ AGNES On and on (UK radio edit)

@ ALEX VELEA Don’t say it’s over <---CLUB SONG OF THE MONTH

@ ALEXANDER RYBAK First kiss

@ ALYOSHA To be free

@ ANNAGRACE Don’t let go

@ BRIAN MCFADDEN Not now

@ CHERYL COLE Parachute (Buzz Junkies club mix)

@ CHRISTINA AGUILERA Glam

@ CYANNA Let’s make it count

@ CYNDI LAUPER Don’t cry no more

@ DAN BALAN feat. ΕΛΕΝΗ ΦΟΥΡΕΪΡΑ Chica bomb (Greeklish version)

@ DIANA VICKERS The boy who murdered love

@ ELIN LANTO Love made me stupid

@ EMINEM feat. RIHANNA Love the way you lie

@ FLORENCE + THE MACHINE Heavy in your arms <---ALTERNATIVE SONG OF THE MONTH

@ GREGOIRE feat. KATERINE AVGOUSTAKIS Toi + moi (Greeklish version)

@ JEWEL Bad as it gets

@ KATIE MELUA Twisted

@ KELE Tenderoni <---ELECTRONIC SONG OF THE MONTH

@ KELIS Home

@ KYLIE MINOGUE Put your hands up (If you feel love) <---POP SONG OF THE MONTH

@ MARC ANTHONY Maldita sea mi suerte

@ MARK ANGELO feat. SHAYA Far from everything

@ METRIC Eclipse (All yours)

@ MONIKA Take a little bit of me <---ACOUSTIC SONG OF THE MONTH

@ MORCHEEBA Even though

@ MUSE Neutron star collision (Love is forever)

@ N*E*R*D* feat. NELLY FURTADO Hot-n-fun

@ NATASHA BEDINGFIELD Touch

@ NE-YO Beautiful monster

@ OFFER NISSIM presents NIKKA The one & only

@ ORIANTHI Addicted to love <---ROCK SONG OF THE MONTH

@ OTHERVIEW La luna

@ PLAN B Prayin’ <---DANCE SONG OF THE MONTH

@ PLAY The consequence of you

@ RICKI-LEE Can’t touch it <---R'N'B SONG OF THE MONTH

@ ROBYN Don’t fucking tell me what to do

@ SARAH MCLACHLAN Out of tune

@ SECONDHAND SERENADE Something more

@ SEMI PRECIOUS WEAPONS Magnetic baby

@ SHAYNE WARD Crash

@ SIA My love <---BALLAD SONG OF THE MONTH

@ THE BRAVERY Ours

@ THE LIKE Trouble in paradise <---INDIE SONG OF THE MONTH

@ THE PRETTY RECKLESS Zombie

@ TOM DICE Always and forever <---SONG OF THE MONTH

@ USHER feat. WILL.I.AM. OMG (Almighty mix)

@ ΑΛΚΗΣΤΙΣ ΠΡΩΤΟΨΑΛΤΗ Τώρα λέει η καρδιά

@ ΑΝΝΑ ΒΙΣΣΗ Λαμπρατζιά λαμπρατζιά

@ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΜΑΖΩΝΑΚΗΣ Στιγμές που δε σ’έχω

@ ΕΛΕΝΑ ΠΑΠΑΡΙΖΟΥ feat. ONIRAMA Φυσικά μαζί (Together forever) <---GREEK SONG OF THE MONTH

@ ΕΛΕΝΑ ΠΑΠΑΡΙΖΟΥ Dancing without music

@ ΕΛΕΩΝΟΡΑ ΖΟΥΓΑΝΕΛΗ Δεύτερη φορά

@ ZAK ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΥ & ΜΠΑΝΤΑ ΚΟΑΛΑ Χορεύεις στη γραμμή

@ ΘΗΡΙΟ feat. ΕΛΕΝΗ ΦΟΥΡΕΪΡΑ Μια νύχτα μόνο

@ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΣ ΓΑΛΑΝΟΣ Θα παρακαλάς

@ ΚΩΣΤΑΣ ΜΑΡΤΑΚΗΣ Κάνω ό,τι θες

@ ΜΑΝΤΩ One touch can say it all

@ ΜΕΛΙΣΣΕΣ Μυστικό

@ ΜΙΧΑΛΗΣ ΧΑΤΖΗΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ Το καλοκαίρι μου

@ ΝΑΤΑΣΣΑ ΜΠΟΦΙΛΙΟΥ Σε ξεχώρισα

@ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΣ Υποσχέσου

@ ΠΩΛΙΝΑ Κλασσικά εικονογραφημένα

@ ΣΤΕΛΙΟΣ ΔΑΒΑΡΗΣ Το τρόλλευ της ευτυχίας

@ ΣΤΕΦΑΝΟΣ ΔΗΜΟΣΘΕΝΟΥΣ Ό,τι αγαπάς να σε πληγώνει

@ TAMTA feat. ΗΣΑΙΑΣ ΜΑΤΙΑΜΠΑ Egoista

BEST ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

@ Tom Dice TEARDROPS (rock/acoustic) (10)

@ Plan B THE DEFAMATION OF STRICKLAND BANKS (british hip-hop/soul) (9)

@ The Pretty Reckless THE PRETTY RECKLESS EP (rock) (9)

@ Kylie Minogue APHRODITE (pop) (8)

@ Eminem RECOVERY (hip-hop) (8)

@ Στέλιος Δάβαρης ΟΛΑ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΝΕΡΟ (alternative) (8)

@ Semi Precious Weapons YOU LOVE YOU (glam rock) (7.5)

@ Sia WE ARE BORN (pop/alternative) (7)

@ Soundtrack THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE (alternative/rock) (7)

@ Alexander Rybak NO BOUNDARIES (pop/folk) (7)

@ AnnaGrace READY TO DARE (dance/club) (7)

@ Offer Nissim PRIDE ALL OVER 2010 (house/club) (7)

@ Morcheeba BLOOD LIKE LEMONADE (trip-hop/electronic) (7)

ΕΤΣΙ ΚΙ ΕΤΣΙ

@ Sarah McLachlan LAWS OF ILLUSION (acoustic/pop) (6.5)

@ Orianthi BELIEVE (II) (rock) (6)

@ Γιώργος Μαζωνάκης ΤΑ ΙΣΙΑ ΑΝΑΠΟΔΑ (pop/λαϊκό) (6)

@ Cyndi Lauper MEMPHIS BLUES (blues) (6)

@ Scissor Sisters NIGHT WORK (electronic/pop) (6)

@ Ζακ Στεφάνου & Μπάντα-Κοάλα KOALABORATION (alternative) (6)

@ Kele THE BOXER (electronic/indie rock) (5.5)

@ Alyosha ALYOSHA (rock/pop) (5.5)

Γ@ΜΗΣΕ ΤΑ!

@ The Like RELEASE ME (rock) (5)

@ Ήβη Αδάμου ΚΑΛΟΚΑΙΡΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΚΑΡΔΙΑ (pop) (4)

@ Safura IT’S MY WAR (pop) (4)

@ Hera Bjork JE NE SAIS QUOI (pop) (4)

@ Brainstorm YEARS AND SECONDS (pop/rock) (3.5)

@ Δέσποινα Βανδή C’EST LA VIE (pop) (2)

PLUS

MARIA ZOUROUDIS: Ή αλλιώς «Μια Ελληνίδα στο YouTube”. H Maria Zouroudis έχει ήδη γίνει γνωστή απο το YouTube και η φήμη της αρχίζει και εξαπλώνεται σιγά σιγά! Θα βρείτε τραγούδια της στο official channel της στο Tube, και θα ακούσετε τις πραγματικά πολύ αξιόλογες διασκευές που έχει κάνει σε γνωστά pop κομμάτια με την υπέροχη φωνή της. Κάποια τραγούδια της έχουν ξεπεράσει τα 600,000 views και συνεχίζει.

ΕΛΕΝΑ ΠΑΠΑΡΙΖΟΥ: Μπορεί τα τελευταία χρόνια τα album και τα τραγούδια της να είναι κατώτερα του ταλέντου της, αλλά είναι τόσο αυθεντική, γλυκιά κι ακομπλεξάριστη που δε μπορεις να μην την αγαπήσεις. Plus ότι ακόμα και με τα παραπανήσια κιλά είναι πολύ σέξυ!

ΣΑΚΗΣ ΡΟΥΒΑΣ: Το «Εμένα θες» είναι για μένα το καλύτερο ποπ τραγούδι αυτή την εποχή, με υπέροχο video (το καλύτερο της καριέρας του so far) και με μια breathtaking εμφάνιση στα βραβεία MAD.

ΑΝΝΑ ΒΙΣΣΗ: Με την εμφάνιση-έκπληξη στο Greek Idol, έδειξε για άλλη μια φορά πόσο αληθινή και αυθόρμητη είναι. Μπορεί με το μαλλί και το look να έδειχνε η ηλικία της, αλλά την προτιμώ έτσι.

ΒΑΛΑΝΤΩ (GREEK IDOL): Πρώτη φορά που συμφωνώ τόσο πολύ για νικητή σε μουσικό reality. Η κοπέλα φαινόταν από την αρχή ότι θα ξεχωρίσει. Φωνάρα!!! Κι άσε τον Κωστόπουλο την βλάχα να λέει τα δικά του για τη Νικόλ. Το κοινό ευτυχώς είχε αυτιά και άκουσε.

MINUS

ΔΕΣΠΟΙΝΑ ΒΑΝΔΗ: Είπε σε συνέντευξή της ότι δεν έχει κάνει ποτέ πλαστική στο πρόσωπο. Μας δουλεύει? Εδώ πάει να γίνει σαν τη χαμένη αδερφή του Michael Jackson. Η παρακμή έχει αρχίσει εδώ και καιρό. Για το νέο της album δεν έχω λόγια, ανέμπνευστο και παρωχημένο, απλά δεν ακούγεται, το χειρότερό της cd! Για να μην πω για το αλα “Circus” εξώφυλλο.

RIHANNA: Τα άσχημα σχόλια για τη συναυλία της στην Αθήνα, καθώς και η μετριότατη φωνή της που μου είπαν ότι είχε στο live, με επιβεβαιώνει όταν λέω ότι είναι ατάλαντη. Μόνο εικόνα, ωραία videos, και κάποια πολύ καλά κομμάτια είναι και τίποτ’άλλο. Το ότι τα εισιτήρια είχαν ίδια τιμή με αυτά της Beyonce είναι απλά θράσος!

HBH ΑΔΑΜΟΥ: OΚ, είναι κουκλίτσα, φρέσκια, συμπαθητική φωνούλα κλπ, αλλά ακούγοντας το cd της πραγματικά εκτίμησα την Καλομοίρα! Για να μην αναφερω την άθλια διασκευή στο «Χαμένη αγάπη» της Βίκυ Λέανδρος!

MAD VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS 2010: Τα βραβεία είναι εντελώς για τον πούτσο και παίζονται πολλά με δισκογραφικές κλπ (δεν τρώμε κουτόχορτο), το μόνο που αξίζει είναι οι εμφανίσεις των καλλιτεχνών και τα τραγούδια. Φέτος δεν ξέρω ποιος έγραψε τα κείμενα, αλλά ήταν ελεεινά!

GREEK IDOL: Μπορεί να έβγαλε μια σπουδαία φωνή (Βαλάντω) και να έφερε τη Ρουλάρα πίσω, αλλά ήταν by far το πιο παρακμιακό μουσικό reality. Η κριτική επιτροπή άθλια (με εξαίρεση τον Κοντόπουλο), ο Καπετανίδης απέδειξε πόσο άκυρος και πούστρα είναι (μας έπρηξε τ’αρχίδια με τον Ντούρο πια), κι όσον αφορά τους παίχτες τι να πω, έκαναν τόσους μήνες για να βρουν αυτούς?

July Is DOPE-A-PALOOZA MONTH!

Hey kids. Like the new banner?

A word of explanation: I was going over the blog a few weeks back and realized that, OMG LOL BRB, this July my bouncing burly big ol' hunk of blog will be five years old.

Five.

I haven't done anything for five years consecutively.

This is clearly an occasion. See, even R. Lee Ermey says so over there...and are YOU gonna tell him he's wrong?

Thought not.

Therefore, in order to celebrate this momentous event, I am going to do something that I haven't done for years (besides clean my desk off): I'm going to post something different every day this month, and on the 22nd of July - which is the birthday of the ol' MBZ - I am going to give you a very very VERY special posting of something that is not only special, but also something that I never thought I'd bring up in this place. You know what: I may even have a giveaway!

Ahh...now you're interested, ain'tcha?

So stay tuned, youse mugs; July IS Dope-A-Palooza Month at the Mecha-Blog-Zilla, and you are invited to the party...just BYOB and clean up after yourselves. And no pizza in the jacuzzi.

Dope out.

- TGWD

Greatest movie scenes ever # 28

AKA the prerequisite Rammellzee R.I.P post.

Since everyone other blog has posted all the best Rammellzee stuff already (links to Beat Bop and Gothic Futurism, pictures of his insane outfits or his collaboration with Supreme, videos of his scenes from Wild Style and Style Wars, eulogies noting his influence on everyone from Kool Keith to Cypress Hill to Freestyle Fellowship), I guess I'm gonna have to round this up with his cameo from Stranger Than Paradise, which Jarmusch has still only bettered just the once with Dead Man, where his character - listed in the credits as Man With Money - mistakenly gives Eva the bag of cash. 08:05 in :



And the cameo works as an effective tribute to Rammellzee's two greatest qualities : always on some next-shit with language (was anybody else calling hats domepieces in 1984?) and his get-ups, as we see him resplendent in a Dappy hat, Star Trek shades, a pre-shellsuit jacket, and knee-length boots here :



Phase II and Kase 2 may have been Hip Hop's O.G oddballs, and Jimmy Spicer may have spitting avant garde lyrics on wax before him, but Rammellzee was Hip Hop's first true renaissance weirdo and he remained suitably out-there until the very end. Toodle-pip, 'zee.

The Best Looped Music Videos Ain't on MTV...

They're on Albino Blacksheep.

This is a site I've linked to many times before, but just recently I've been enjoying some very nice looped music videos that are creative, very catchy and, once you play them, you'll simply keep them repeating in the background as you write or clean or surf the Web or whatever. I guarantee it. Good stuff.

And you can trust me on that - I haven't lied to you yet, have I?

Okay, enough intro - here's the videos: just click on the pic and you'll be taken right to the vid....

Aaaaaaaaaaaaahaha by J. Picking









Annoying by J. Picking








Badgers by J. Picking (uhhh....)






Beepdog by Nobuyuki (ooh: different name)








Brazil by drewmo (music by J. Picking...ah, there we're back on track.)







Narwhals by wonchop (music by J. Picking)








Pork by J. Picking

(I must admit this is my most favorite of all of them; it is a catchy tune, has funny animation and is darn catchy - so be forewarned when you find yourself humming this all day....)




Popeye's by sodae






Tamale by Darling and J. Picking








Holy cow. I should have called this "The J. Picking Post, Save for One or Two".

I expect this post to get a lot of clicks, since this is probably the first time in a long time I've posted something entertaining.

Dope out.

- TGWD

So, the Big Boi album..

A quick post since Big Boi is streaming his solo album in its entirity on Myspace. On an initial skimming-all-the-stuff-I'd-not-heard-before-while-eating-lunch listen, Daddy Fat Sax (despite apparently being based on as Fly By II by Blue; who knew Lee Ryan held so much influence in ATLanta?), Turns Me On with Sleepy Brown, Tangerine with T.I & Khujo, You Ain't No DJ with Yelawolf, and Hustle Blood with Jamie Foxx (the song would be better without his crooning I'll let it pass in this instance) are highlights and thankfully quash all fears that all the album's best songs had already been leaked with Royal Flush, Dubbz, Fo' Yo' Sorrows, Shine Blockas, Shutterbug, and Lookin' 4 Ya.

I'm still not feeling General Patton like that, but it's a decent enough album track alongside the likes of Follow Us and Night Night, and thankfully that song with Mary J. Blige has been consigned to the scrapheap. The main problem I'm hearing here, besides the fact that Sleepy should really do all the singing hooks on any OutKast related album, is that Feel Me AKA the song which played briefly at the start of the General Patton video and probably the most classically Dungeon Family sounding shit on here (ie. it'd sound good being played in a drop-top cadillac) is just the album intro which he doesn't actually rap over. Man, don't cha just hate it when rappers do that? De La's intro to Buhloone Mind State, The Chronic intro, KRS One Attacks from Return Of The Boom Bap, the intro with J. Prince from Till Death Do Us Part by Geto Boys, E-40's intro from In A Major Way, To All The Girls by the Beasties from Paul's Boutique, Ice-T's Home Of The Bodybag from O.G, the intro with Big Tymers from B.G's Chopper City In The Ghetto, Gang Starr's Daily Operation intro, and Hold On, Be Strong from 'Kast's own Aquemini would be some of the most obvious examples of great album intros which should've been turned into proper songs by having rapping on them, but here's a couple of less obvious favourites :

K-Rino - Intro (from Stories From The Black Book)



Basically, K-Rino talking in a funny voice over a killer Bar Kays sample. Wait, it might actually be The Commodores and not The Bar Kays? If I could remember what the song the sample was from I could look it up on the-breaks.com to see if anyone else had ever rapped over it, but knowing my luck it'd probably just turn out that someone really gay like Latryrx or Rick Ross had used it too.

Beatnuts - World Famous intro (from Stone Crazy)



So perfect is the album-setting intro to Stone Crazy that I feel like a whingeing cunt for even mentioning it here, but didn't we all pretty much start blogs in the first place to be whingeing cunts and vainly hope that the female contestants from tv quiz shows and rappers we post about reply to our posts about them? Well, didn't we?

Dre Dog - Intro (from The New Jim Jones)



Andre Nickatina was one weird bastard back in his early Dre Dog days, huh? Lil B should somehow jack the instrumental to this and rap over it, because it was kinda like some proto-Based type isht.

Foreign Poster Atrocities #11

It's that time of month again!

No no, don't run and hide - I'm not female.

But it is time to gripe and moan about our select foreign movie artwork for the month.

Some chocolate may help the situation, though.

And now, we begin, with help from Harvey the Rabbit's best pal Jeff:

-----






























TGWD - In space, no one can hear you grin.

JEFF - These two seem to be pretty happy about turning purple.

TGWD - No wonder; they made it in time for the fireworks, looks like.

JEFF - In space, no one can hear Roman candles.

TGWD - And is this supposed to be the first Alien movie? If so, I think they got the poster design wrong.

JEFF - What a shock.

JEFF - Wait; we're only taking for granted this is for an Alien movie - there's no "I" in the title.

TGWD - It's Alen.

JEFF - In space, no one can hear you misspell a simple five-letter word.

TGWD - Maybe Alen's the name of the poster's artist.

JEFF - Wow. He's a freakin' Al Hirschfeld.

TGWD - Alen B. Mistake.

TGWD - Alen McFumbleCrayons.

TGWD - Alen O'Savant.

JEFF - Alen, the Amazing Artist Who Doesn't Look at the Canvas When He Paints.

TGWD - See, I can draw, I have crayons this color. Why can't I get the cushy job Alen has?

JEFF - Connections; it's all about connections.

JEFF - If my daddy owned Teshie Video I could do the same thing Alen does.

TGWD - And better.

TGWD - Back to this poster, I'm only guessing one of these women is Sigourney Weaver.

JEFF - But since this doesn't have the word "Resurrection" anywhere in it, it would almost HAVE to be the first one.

JEFF - Which makes the other woman...oh...whatsername. You know: her.

TGWD - Yeah, that one lady.

JEFF - The other one who was...not Sigourney Weaver.

TGWD - Yeeeeaaaah...and she was in that other movie.

JEFF - The one that wasn't an Alien movie.

TGWD - Right. It had her and that...that guy.

JEFF - It was set in that... place!

TGWD - That's the one; and they had to do that thing.

TGWD - At that time.

JEFF - Or they couldn't save the orphanage.

TGWD - Oh. I don't think I saw that one.

JEFF - Me neither.

JEFF - And I sure haven't seen this one.

TGWD - It's okay; neither did Alen.

JEFF - Maybe that's his hand down in the corner holding the knife.

TGWD - Ready to cut the purple umbilical cord connecting Sigourney I and Sigourney II's faces.

TGWD - Waitaminiit - that face at the top...see how long it is?

JEFF - Yeah...kinda like....

TGWD - Uh-huh. Say it.

JEFF - That's Ron Perlman, isn't it?

TGWD - There we go; It is an Alien Resurrection poster.

JEFF - Man, I hate it when the artist makes you GUESS which movie it is you're going to see.

TGWD - Save the concept art for PRE-production, not post.

JEFF - Or better yet, just put up a blank piece of paper and let the audience draw their own movie poster.

TGWD - Worked for Showgirls.

JEFF - Oh, Alen....

-----

Until another month, another poster and another country's artist to ridicule, Dope (and Jeff) out.

- TGWD

Rappaz R.N Prizun # 2

I could use this post to vent about the England result (but only because I lost cash on calling it a 2 - 1 win to Germany) or how fucking Wimbledon on BBC2 has meant no Eggheads, but, nah, we're back to the topic of rappers spending time in the bing tonight. Here's 5 of my favourite rap songs which were released when the rappers who created them were doin' time. And, no, none of them are by X-Raided (his over-the-phone-from-prison recordings are completely unlistenable) or 2pac (the only songs of his I like are on All Eyez On Me.)

Slick Rick ft. Doug E. Fresh - Sittin' In My Car



One of the most puzzling things of recent times is the popularity of British beatboxers like Kela and Beardyman with the student population/outdoor festival goers (you know - the type of people who don't start issuing curses on humanity if they have to use a portaloo) of the UK. I'm someone who listens to La Di Da Di about 10 times in a row whenever it comes on my MP3 player during a throw-the-thing-on-random session but even I have a 5 minute threshold on listening to dudes on stage making funny noises which are supposed to sound like rap records. Realistically, beatboxing should only ever be acceptable when Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh get together, as they did here for the first time since the Tougher Than Leather version of Treat Her Like A Prostitute, on Rick's Behind Bars LP which he recorded during a quick work release visit home sometime in 1993. The Show and La Di Da Di will always be the 2 songs which sold me on this rap shit as a kid in 1985, but Sittin' In My Car is possibly their finest moment together. Def Jam even shot a video for the vastly inferior video remix with Jermaine Dupri, which lots of dolts apparently appear to prefer to the original, with a Ricky D doppelganger, but I have so much contempt for that version I'm not even gonna hyperlink it.

Mac Dre - My Chevy



Fact : Mac Dre's Back N Da Hood EP is the only recorded-over-the-phone-from-prison release which is anything approachable to listenable (it's pretty good, in fact) and this, the song where Mac rhymed over the beatswitch bits in California Livin', is its highlight. The other version of this with the Khayree breakdown and Mac Mall goin'-off-on-one verse from the Young Black Brotha compilation tends to be better known and is probably the definitive version of the song, but as Mall outshadows Dre on his own shit, the original works best here. It's a pity that a rapper as prolific as Mac Dre didn't go back and re-record these when he got out of prison, but he was probably too busy thinking up politics/drug based shit-puns for his album titles. Shame on him for never thinking up Kush Limbaugh, Amyl Houghton, or Dank Johnson. If he'd ever have done a collabo with a UK artist they could've called it The Ketaminers Strike.

Shyne - Diamonds And Mac Tens (Just Blaze remix)



Things Shyne's post-prison voice sounds like : the plumbing in a Deeside call centre, Federico Marchetti's panicking hands, Joe Budden doing an impression of Jesse West on the Dolly My Baby remix, the grunts Jon Venables makes when whacking off to kiddie p0rn.

Things the Just Blaze remix of Diamonds And Mac Tens sounds like : one of the three great Shyne songs (Bad Boyz and Commission being the other two) which don't leave me cursing Puffy for not giving them to Black Rob or G. Dep instead.

Bun B ft. Pimp C, Z-Ro, Young Jeezy & Jay-Z - Get Throwed



We got a Prisoner Cell Block H(ouston) situation here with both Pimp C and Z-Ro doing porridge when this initially appeared back in 2005, which is enough to counter the fact that Bun B wasn't counting bars in this instance. I'd always wondered why the hell Z-Ro didn't actually rap on this, and it turns out that it was because he was inside at the time at the time of its recording and his contibution was some studio scrap J. Prince and Mike Dean gave to Mr Lee to fashion into a hook with a little help from Jeezy.

Harmony was thankfully restored to the world when both Pimp C and Z-Ro got out of clink to appear in the new extra Pimp & Bun verses video version, and 'Ro rapped over a slightly rejigged approximation of the beat alongside Trae on Still Throwed on the 2nd A.B.N album.

Husalah - Talk It Out



Released while he was in prison, and recorded as he spent about 3 years on the run from po-leese, so, yeah - top that, Gucci Mane. There's a couple of tracks I prefer to this on Huslin' Since Da 80's like Gear and It's Kinda Hot, but this is one of Hus's best self-mythology songs and anything which uses some harmonica which sounds like it's from the Gum-Leaf War episode of Round The Twist automatically secures itself top billin' around these parts. It's also notable because this is one of the songs where Hus refers to himself as "young Felix" which lead to the "your name isn't Felix, it's James!" tete-et-tete in the sprawling and hilarious A-Wax vs. Mob Figaz beef.