DJ Feenix

Today is like Christmas. Courtesy of Rap Radar:

Black Jack Johnson, Black Thought, Eminem:

Click HERE to see the rest of Da Cyphers.

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Click HERE for “I’m Good I’m Gone” video.

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Is this a trend or a reflection of the time? Or are people jacking other people’s video concepts? Oh well… Alicia Feener* and John Mayer.

(And Kanye had a video over the weekend but he “had to take it down…“)

Buy: Voodoo [Amazon MP3]

Of all the albums I’ve ever heard, this one is probably the one that has been the most important to developing my musical understanding.

The album is what rhythm n’ blues, soul and funk sound like when married perfectly. The use of multi-tracked vocals, a strange falsetto that I didn’t understand until recently and a hip-hop sensibility combine to form a groove that is limber enough to flex back and forth between love and jealousy, coolasapimp-swagger and vulnerable.

It’s not just the horns, or the bass guitar or the vinyl scratches in places that seem to only need a quick sample to pull it together. It’s not just the consistently drummed song of Questlove in the background pulling it all together like a musical quarterback. It’s not just the peaks and valleys the songs have as you’re brought up to the top of the church and then down to its exhausted floor.

Musically, I can’t be where I am today without this album. I can’t listen to it out of order. It’s my #1 favorite of all time. It’s the reason I do what I do.

Contributors to the album include: Pino Palladino, Questlove, Roy Hargrove, DJ Premier, Method Man, Redman, Q-Tip, Raphael Saadiq, James Poyser, Charlie Hunter and J-Dilla.

I was never really that into Kravitz, but his non-American Woman stuff ages pretty well. This is from 1998, a full 10 years ago.

(No… I’m not going in order… and I don’t care…)

I’m not sure if Uncle Ricky’s inclusion on the list is a reflection of the wackness of the current MCs, the list makers or if I’ve simply been sleeping on a Top 5 MC.  Although, I can’t deny that he has the best jewelry of anyone since Ghostface.

I really liked “Magnificent,” but I really can’t speak on anything else that he’s done.  I’d put a Wale or Kid Cudi at 10, move everyone up 1 spot.  But that’s just my list.

I’m ok with this. Rae’s album is solid and it dropped at the right time. Beats were solid. Stories were on point. Guest appearances well placed and not overwhelming like on some of these O.G. rappers’ albums (*cough* Snoop *cough*).

Rae isn’t afraid of a hook, he takes time with his rhymes and this album was actually worth the wait.

This dropped on the same day as Jay’s BP3 and it’s been getting more burn on my iPod than Third Installment.

DJ Feenix: Co-signs!