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LL Cool J feat. Ja Rule "Back Where I Belong"

Hey I'm gonna check out for that when I get enough money to buy it, there's so many albums comin' out right now, I think Stevie Wonder's even releasing a new album next month! :pony:

Well this could arguably be the best solo album he's ever done, but I still love listening to "Big Willie Style" after 8 years, that album never gets old to listen to, I could still play that album from start to finish, I don't give a damn if people call it a pop rap album, if you ain't got nothin' nice to say don't say nothin' like Will said on the one song on there so I call it good music, people front like they don't like it but they'd dance to all these songs in the club and still would if it was played in the club, I enjoy "Willenium" too but I like "Big Willie Style" better, but I could see myself playing "Lost and Found" many years down the road too, it's nice to see how he's bounced back from his dissapointing release of "Born To Reign", you could tell he was just doing something to finish his contract on Columbia, his heart wasn't in the whole album, many fans thought his rap career was over and he was gonna stick to acting, it's kinda ironic though that "Born To Reign" actually has had better reviews from critics than some of his other solo albums. :wtf: The JJFP albums though are ultimately Will's best work however, their chemistry together is better than when Will does tracks on his own.

Happy B-Day! :Party_fest09: :2thumbs:

I remember hearing 2 years ago though when Slick Rick got out of prison he was sayin' he's gonna work on a new album, Def Jam should've kept him 'cause his last album went gold in '99 but 6 years waiting for a new one tells me that they didn't but Russell Simmons is back in charge now so hopefully Slick Rick could get a good deal and release his album soon enough. Chuck D said there was supposed to be a Charlie Mack legends tour this month but I guess that idea fell through like the JJFP World Tour idea.

Hey Joe you should check out his greatest hits album that he released last year if you wanna hear more from him, I only have a few of his albums but I'd say his self titled "Keith Sweat" is my favorite 'cause that was around the time I got into to him and it never gets old listening to. :2thumbs:

Hearing the singles "The Corner" and "Go" tell me that this album's nowhere near the level of "Resurrection" or "Like Water For Chocolate" for that matter but this'll be his most popular 'cause Kanye West produced it, but it'll be nice to see a real mc top 50 Cent on the charts, so on that note I'm gonna still buy the album when I get a chance, Common's the new school version of KRS-ONE, he spits knowledge, it'd be nice to see him get some due. I don't think you could really compare Will's and Common's albums either 'cause they both have different styles and are great at what they do, it'd be nice if they collabed one day, I think Common would be the perfect mc to do a remix to "Tell Me Why" if there was one, btw, here's a vibe.com interview with Common: http://www.vibe.com/modules.php?op=modload...article&sid=802 Days before the release of Common’s highly anticipated sixth album, and after a kinetic performance in the pouring rain at NYC's Columbia University, the wordsmith sat down with Vibe.com to discuss his new album --- Be. His last album, Electric Circus was almost called The Isness, Laylah Amatullah Barrayn asked Common, “Was there a relationship between those titles?” Common answers… Common: Both of those titles do symbolize certain things. The Isness was saying that ‘It is what it is.’ And I was honestly coming from a place, like at the time of [Electric Circus], this is what it is. This is hip hop, you don’t have to really judge it or try to figure it out. BE came from another place, where it was like ‘I had been through this struggle and I had been through the lack of response to [Electric Circus], I been through the break up with me and [Erykah Badu].' What do I want to do? I want to be, I want to exist. And exist from the core of who I am. That is what BE means, to be who you are, the simplicity of being. Not trying too hard, to be who you are, no matter where you are. You can walk in a room and be amongst gangsters and still be humble and be a nice guy. You can walk amongst the bourgeois. It’s about honoring self. Is going back home a part of being? Your video for “The Corner” was shot in Chicago. When you be, you gotta deal with where you began. Along with the root of yourself, you have to look at where you have evolved. Going home was very symbolic. It represented going home, physically and spiritually. Chicago is the foundation for me. Going home doesn’t mean you’re trying to live in the past. One thing I was really adamant about was that you have to be in the present, you can’t dwell in the past. You can’t worry about the future. Even in certain situations that aren’t going your way, you still gotta be. Another thing that BE meant to me was being human. You can be angry at a certain point, you could be happy, you could be sexual, you could be holy. You could be laughing and crying. What is it about Chicago that made you express yourself through hip hop as opposed to expressing yourself any other way? Chicago is such an authentic city to me. It’s really not an industry driven place. You don’t have record companies and movie houses. It’s really a blue-collar city and a real soulful city. It’s authentic in that if you are something, then you better be it or you will get called out. Where in some places you might put on a character and people might accept it. So, Chicago set that tone for me to be authentic. So, are there any specific aspects of Chicago that drew you to hip hop? Oh, yeah. See, Chicago is a black city. It’s very segregated, too. Hip hop is such a real art form and it’s true to who we are. We didn’t put up no masks. When we started break dancing and cats was getting on the mic talking about each other, dissin' each other, talking about what’s going on in their neighborhood, using their imagination, creating stories. That real aspect of hip hop is what I connected to. Which is what Chicago is about, the realness. So, hip hop was very revolutionary. Chicago just got an underlining tone, a revolutionary tone too. It’s a lot of ordinary people, there’s still a movement. Before we had the Black Panthers, now we have Fred [Hampton] Jr. and Aaron Patterson and people trying to make moves. A lot of folks don’t know that you knew Kanye from back-in-the-day. Can you tell us about your earlier encounters? I remember, about 1996, going in the studio of my producer No I.D. [in the] basement and Kanye playing beats rapping and just being hungry and confident. He was just there to learn. I loved the excitement. You had to get used to him talking **** the way he did. Now, I understand it more, and love him more. It’s childlike in a way. I almost wish more people were like that in a way. He’s very honest. Yeah, he’s very honest. He’s Being… Yeah, he’s being. You can tell he’s not trying. He’s himself. Yeah, he’d come to my basement and try to battle me. He wanted to outdo me because I was the biggest dude from Chicago at the time. We was cool. We reconnected on the EC tour. He was out with Kweli. Right after that we would just talk to him about certain things regarding music. He was there during that tough time in my life, although he didn’t know my struggles at the time, but he was there as a musician. There is a lot of focus on the discussion about women in hip hop. There is Essence magazine's initiative and there was a huge Feminism and Hip Hop conference in Chicago recently. What do you think about this discourse coming mainstream? I understand why it’s necessary to talk about it on that kind of scale, because we have to treat our women with love. I think Elijah Muhammad said that a nation will rise no higher than its women. How our women are treated and loved is an indication of how our nation is doing morally and otherwise. The negative way we treat our women just causes a lot of confusion in the world. These discussions are important because it can awaken so many people, men and women, who might not know any better. Our words are affecting the way little girls are thinking about themselves or suggesting negative things about what they should do to get attention. The songs “It’s Your World” and “Faithful” are two songs that speak to the issue of internal and external struggle. Can you talk about those songs? “It’s Your World” is about people in certain situations who want a different life than what they currently have. I talk about a guy that is similar to me, but at the same token has a lot of qualities as my friends. He grew up in Chicago. Tried to go off to school, messed up and got into the situation hustling. He really don’t want to hustle, he wants something bigger. He’s in the same spot as his old man. He said, “My life, I didn’t plan to be on this corner/I still wanna see California.” Some people don’t get the change to see other places, “It’s Your World” is literary about dreaming about going to another place. And the second verse is about a prostitute and how she ended up in her world. It was a realistic situation. I actually sat down with a prostitute and she told me how she would dream about herself being in a casket. Some of the lyrics are: Knew this girl sellin’ her body when she knew what it was worth/ Between God and trash, lookin’ in every car that pass / Wit a walk that suggest head/ To milk @#%$ she was breast fed/ She know dairy so she say cheese to get bread / In the area where there’s more weaves and less dreads / Kinda scary amongst thieves and base-heads / Said it was her toes but I could tell her soul hurt / She was cold turk growin’ up she got to know hurt/ Very well in a world where self hate is overt / Her stepfather thought he was Ike so her mother he strikes / She got to like minded niggas who like crimes / And figures doin’ white lines and liquor see hard times/ It kicked her / In the ass, it used to be thicker / Life is fast some choose to be quicker / I remember in high school she had a passion to sing / Now she sees herself in a casket in dreams A lot of this was this woman’s story. And the other song, it’s called “Faithful,” is about being committed. If God was a woman, how would we react? Would you be committed, would you stay faithful? Can you talk about your involvement in the Know HIV/AIDS campaign? I always feel that if I have a platform to say something, I have to say something that’s going to mean something. And, I felt like I needed to say something about HIV, which is killing us. It’s killing us more than the things we think is killing us, like car crashes, and murder. HIV is killing us at a crazy rate and I just wanted to be part of that campaign. As much as I can rap about anything, hanging out, stuff like that, I need to be able to convey words and messages that the people, and more importantly the kids are going to be able to walk with and hold on to. I need to say things that’s going to lend to becoming better people. Another reason is that my uncle died of AIDS. And, that’s when I really felt it. It had a big affect on me. I’m sorry to hear about your uncle. Thank you. Do you incorporate HIV/AIDS awareness in Common Ground, the foundation that you began? Oh yeah, we have many seminars with the teens in Chicago, and we talk about everything related to heath and well being - to self esteem to images portrayed in hip hop. But really, we’ve have been using hip hop to educate the children and how to live their lives the best way. I know that’s a broad thing. I’ve been writing these children’s books too. Shortys need to receive messages about life as well as academia. When I was in school, it was like, you go to school, get your degree or you’re not going to make it in life. We weren’t encouraged to use our creative and artistic selves. It was more history and math, those types of subjects. You are an MC that seems so at home in an acoustic setting. Whether it’s with jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, remaking Fela Kuti tunes or rhyming with your band, A Black Girl Named Becky. Do you have more of an acoustic sensibility? I just love music. It’s spiritual, I feel something in the instruments. The keys, the guitars and bass. When I got introduced to live music, that made me feel like ‘Wow!” I always wanted to be like Michael Jackson or Stevie Wonder or one of the soul artists that would get up and sing with their band. I’ve always dreamed of doing that. Are you doing any jazz festivals this summer? Yeah, I’m doing the Montreux Jazz Festival this July. Do you remember a show you did in San Francisco, where you opened up for The Roots and you jumped into the crowd? Yeah, I remember that! I jumped into the crowd and someone stole my shoe. Man, I loved that pair of shoes. I just remember being mad and freestyling, ‘Yo, give me my shoe!’ I always loved jumping in the crowd. Sometimes they hold you up and sometimes they let you go, but this time they held me up and took my shoe. I had to go the whole night with only one shoe.

I wasn't dissin' "Dreams" or "The Corner", those are dope tracks, but I think the production on "Tell Me Why" is just as dope even though it wasn't a big name producer on it.

Pep Love "Black People", such a powerful track

Well Game's "Dreams" is getting mad airplay but that's 'cause everybody's riding the G Unit bandwagon and Common's "The Corner" is getting mad airplay but that's only 'cause everybody's riding the Kanye West bandwagon, and neither Kanye West or Dr. Dre produced "Tell Me Why" so peeps won't check for it now. :mad:

I've been listening to Keith Sweat since the mid-90s, he's one of my favorite r&b artists of all-time so I'm looking forward to this release, but I doubt it'll sell much since his popularity is gone now, he came out around the same time as JJFP did, and with "Lost and Found" struggling to go gold with FP being the most popular ol' school artist, that's not good news for Public Enemy and Keith Sweat when they release albums this summer.

That's a shame, MC Lyte hasn't really done that well in recent years like most ol' school rappers sales-wise, it'd be a dope idea if Will could sign Slick Rick, Rakim, and Naughty By Nature 'cause they're looking for record deals and nobody's signing them yet! :mad:

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050429/295254.html?.v=1 R&B's ''Legendary'' Keith Sweat Gears up for 20 City ''Summer Sweat Tour'' Friday April 29, 10:00 am ET Multi-Platinum Recording Artist Keith Sweat Embarks on 20 City "Summer Sweat Tour" Featuring Electrifying Caribbean Music Group Elvis White & Special Guests! ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 29, 2005-- JDP Productions announces the "Summer Sweat Tour" featuring R&B's multi-platinum selling "Legendary" Keith Sweat and introducing the most exciting new group out of the Caribbean, Elvis White! The "Summer Sweat Tour" will commence in late June and will visit 20 cities across the US through mid-August. Headlined by Keith Sweat, the groundbreaking tour is the first of its kind to marry two different genres of music, offering Keith Sweat fans the opportunity to experience not only a concert, but an actual escape on a true musical journey. Keith Sweat, whose hits include, "I Want Her," "Something Just Ain't Right," "Make It Last Forever," "Don't Stop Your Love," "Make You Sweat," and "Merry Go Round," to name a few, is slated to release his newest LP (tentatively titled) GROWN and SEXY, on Sanctuary Records this July. The "Summer Sweat Tour" also features the most exciting new group out of the Caribbean since Kevin Lyttle (Turn Me On/Atlantic), Elvis White (www.elviswhite.com), who will have Keith Sweat fans winding, grooving and sweating to their electrifying fusion of R&B/Reggae/Pop and SOCA Funk! "I want my fans to come out and experience something that they have never experienced at a Keith Sweat concert before," says Sweat. "Elvis White is the hottest new band out of the Caribbean right now and I know they'll heat up my fans nicely. When I hit the stage with my new GROWN and SEXY show they'll really be ready to sweat!" Elvis White will release their debut CD PROMISE on June 21, 2005 on Atlanta based 17.20 Records. Dates for the upcoming "Summer Sweat Tour" will be announced on May 2, 2005. For more information on the Keith Sweat "Summer Sweat Tour" please contact JDP Productions at (770) 789-5120.

You shouldn't get the album...it sucks! Drop It Like It's Hot and Ups and Downs are like the best songs on the whole album! Don't get it! Save your money! ← Well if that's the case then the only way I'll get it is if I could find a used copy somewhere, that wasn't one of my 1st choices, a gangsta rap album has to be really dope for me to buy it.

I like this verse a lot on LL's "One In The Morning" "Yeah I'm still at it, the microphone addict You get your dome splattered, cause homey will not have it Your ashes get scattered across the Atlantic For actin like you a teenage chick with her bra padded You might laugh at it, but if you do the knowledge It's really a tad tragic how they runnin through they cabbage You know my track record, L battle like a savage I think and grow rich, that gives me the advantage Uncle LL, I got product for sale So I can bail Al Sharpton out of jail Somebody gotta do it, somebody in the black community gotta get this money while y'all march for unity So march on, I'ma get my Bentley park on Then get my dogs a platform to bark on The realest brother, you Nicole Kidman, one of 'The Others' Children shiverin under the covers The man in black, the tilted Fedora hat I'm bringin it raw, you never want your money back I'm focused baby, livin like a quarterback Playin in the wishbone, L keep options black Systematically, burn you like calories Watch your mouth, go earn your lil' salary I'm a classic like Nike Airs and Wallabees You could catch it like the flu, homey follow me"

Hell yeah, they're great tracks to bump in your ride and dance to at the clubs. :jazzy:

Slick Rick "Mona Lisa" :dj:

Well on recent stuff I've been feelin': Nas "Street's Disciple"(most of the album) LL Cool J "The Definition"(most of the album) Talib Kweli "The Beautiful Struggle"(most of the album) Will Smith "Lost and Found"(the whole album) De La Soul "The Grind Date"(the whole album) Common "The Corner"(I gonnna buy his album soon) Mariah Carey "We Belong Together"(I wanna check out her album too) Amerie "One Thing"(original and the remix with Eve) Faith Evans "Again" Twista feat. Faith Evans "Hope" Game "Dreams"(the only song I like from him, fuq's version is classic though) Fat Joe "So Much More" Black Eyed Peas "Don't Phunk With My Heart"(funny song) Bow Wow and Omarion "Let Me Hold You"(he's coming of age now) Spectec feat. Big Daddy Kane, Kofi "One Day"(that's right Big Daddy Kane's still spittin', maybe he's gonna do another album soon on KRS' label) Snoop Dogg "Ups and Downs" and "Drop It Like It's Hot"(maybe one day I'll get his new album, probably by the time he does another one, lol)

Hey I remember making a suggestion over on Jazzy Jeff's board for "Return Of The Magnificent" about collaborating with rappers all over the world, maybe he liked that suggestion. :smart: A lot of titles are the same though in music, there's many other albums out there called "Lost and Found" too, but they all sound different.

Damn it seems like every team has a coaching change these days, that's not such a secure job. :lolsign:

Agreed. I'm especially looking forward to the video. Should be very lively with plenty of energy. I'm still a little squeamish about Tell Me Why being released in the fall, close to Sept. 11th. People will be more likely to focus more on the Sept. 11th aspect of the song, discounting the overall message that the song is conveying. Hopefully, there won't be any talk of Tell Me Why being a gimmick or exploiting the topic of Sept. 11th to sell records. We know how unreasonable and ignorant people can be when they are searching for a reason to dislike something because of their personal bias. I guess we or rather Will will cross that bridge when it's time. In the meantime, I'll looking forward to that Party Starter release and the public's reaction to it. Especially that third verse. ← :word: Well if "Tell Me Why" doesn't get released until late September or early October then there won't be so much controversey, so hopefully "Party Starter" could stay on the charts for about 4 months and keep "Lost and Found" with stable sales until then.

:word: Yeah it's the 1st time in more than 15 years that the top four teams in the NBA are all in the conference finals, anyways I hope Shaq stays healthy for the Heat or else the Pistons'll win the series easily.

Damn that sucks for u Joe, u should write your rhymes in notebooks and save your rhymes on floppy disks when you type them on the computer like I do, that way you won't lose track of what you did, you could also always go back on your posts and see the ones you posted here, good luck!

Happy Birthday! :2thumbs:

...and it's not 1987 either, he's standing the test of time when it comes to popularity, no mc from 20 years ago except LL is as popular.