The moment I saw the title of this Rick Ross and Jadakiss collaboration, I knew it was going to be dope. But honestly, I didn’t know it was going to be THIS DOPE. Wow. This beat is fucking fire, and Rozay and Kiss both spit awesome verses. This is the type of shit I like to thump in the summer. Listen below.
Thanks for the crack, fellas. It’s much appreciated.
I’m still bugging off the fact that I interviewed Ghostface. Hanging with him and talking about his rap career was easily one of the most amazing hip-hop moments of my life. Check the Complex interview feature out below. This is a must read for all Ghost and Wu-Tang fans.
Ghostface Killah Names His Favorite Songs From His Essential Albums
Special thanks to my dude Gustavo for making it all happen, and of course huge thanks to GFK. Oh, and as a bonus, peep this ill footage I found of Ghost and Rae performing “The Watch” at BB King’s a few years back.
Cheahhhh.
What up. Just wanted to post a couple tracks I’ve been feeling lately. First is a new song by Mac Miller produced by Hannibal King called “CPR.” This shit is so lovely.
Also, digging this Denzil Porter cut “Bishop.” Rapper out of the BX on the come up.
Finally, I can’t front, I like this new Drake song “Girls Love Beyonce.” Shit is fly.
Hope everyone is doing well. Got a really ill interview dropping next week so stay tuned!
So I finally recorded a new song. It had literally been over a year since I wrote a rap verse. I had the biggest case of writer’s block in the history of my life. But this past January, I said to myself that I was going to get back on the board. So I started looping up some samples, like how I used to do back in the Real Breezy and Bachelor Party days. And this one beat I made, a loop of Jimi Hendrix’s live Band of Gypsys song “Who Knows,” had that feeling. It felt like a new “Ippy Strut” or something.
I vowed not to try and write any lyrics in January, no matter how dope the beat was. I made a handful of beats, maybe ten total, from samples I found and that my friends sent me. Then finally, sometime in March, I went in. I had been talking to my boy DJ Roz about this EP idea I had called D.A.D. (Diapers And Dope), and all of a sudden, I just started writing to that Jimi Hendrix loop. I wrote two verses back-to-back in like fifteen minutes.
I waited about a month before I recorded the song. I had the first verse memorized pretty quickly, and even sent an audio note to a couple buddies with me spitting it over the beat to let them know I was back. Then last week, I finally laid it down with my boy Lonie Rock manning the boards. I came up with the chorus on the spot, and it ended up sounding right. Once I gave it a proper mix, I was like, “Wow, this actually came out pretty dope.”
So here it is, my new song, “Clark Griswold,” produced by yours truly. This is my first release since 2011. Shout out to XXL, 2DopeBoyz, Unkut, OnSmash, Potholes In My Blog, Earmilk, Sermon’s Domain, and all the other sites that posted this. It’s been a while since I dropped something, and the feedback from everyone has been phenomenal. Enjoy.
Check out the “Clark Griswold” lyrics on Rap Genius.
UPDATE. Peace to my dude Peter Rosenberg for playing “Clark Griswold” on Hot 97! Stream his Real Late show from 4/29 below. My shit drops 43:30 in.
Okay guys, sorry I’ve been M.I.A. lately here. Lots going on in my professional life, which is a good thing. But I’ve vowed never to neglect Westcheddar. It’s my baby. So to keep you up on what I’ve been feeling lately, I thought it would be appropriate to just blam off in one post to catch up on all the dope shit out there I’ve been fucking with. Enjoy.
Kendrick Lamar f/ Jay-Z “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix)” - Hov hops on one of my favorite Kenrick Lamar tracks. Historic. As is the moment Kendrick was surprised with Jay’s verse by his boys in the studio.
Roc Marciano “The Professional” - Nicest rapper out.
Grizzly Bear “Gun-Shy” – Song is awesome, video is bugged out.
Wild Belle “Love Like This” – Off their new album Isles, which has a few joints on it. Smooth, reggae vibes right here. Track is so chill.
Earl Sweatshirt f/ Tyler, The Creator “Whoa” – Earl’s definitely one of the dopest rappers out right now. These dudes are great because they’re weird and they don’t give a fuck, but are also crazy talented. I’m rocking with Odd Future right now, I can’t front.
D’Angelo and Questlove cover The S.O.S. Band’s “Tell Me If You Still Care” live at Brooklyn Bowl – Would’ve loved to be in the crowd for this show. Damn.
Action Bronson “Compliments 2 The Chef” – Produced by Harry Fraud, off Peter Rosenberg’s mixtape. Sick beat, classic Bam Bam.
Curren$y f/ Jadakiss “Clear” – Kiss is still Top 5 Dead or Alive.
Azizi Gibson “Ghost in the Shell” – This is so dope. Azizi is a rapper on Brainfeeder, same label as The Underachievers.
Joey Purp “Don’t Stop” – Straight out of Chi-Town, this dude has skills. Nice cut right here.
Chance The Rapper “Acid Rain” – Another Chi-Town cat, down with same crew as Joey Purp. He’ll blow first, but Joey’s my dude. This song is hot, though.
AER “Take It Wrong” – I like these guys. Want to keep showing them love. Their new single is great.
Action Bronson x Sports Illustrated at SXSW - Had to post this, just off him name-dropping Marquis Grissom and Jay Buhner.
Wake Up Pranks – So foul, so funny.
Okay, I think that’s good for now. Been pumping that new Justin Timberlake album in the minivan with the fam, too, but my favorite song “Tunnel Vision” isn’t available for streaming online, so just go get that if you’ve been sleeping. I’ll be back on here popping off more consistently now so don’t you worry. Hope you enjoyed the blam. Peace!
*BONUS*
Blood Orange “Bad Girls” - Shout to Leah Rose, who put me on to this. Not brand new or anything, but nevertheless an awesome song.
This is the most insane ending to a basketball game ever. I’m not even gassing you. This is crazy. And it happened in White Plains, yesterday, at the Westchester County Center. Just watch above as dude from New Rochelle hits the illest buzzer beater ever from half court to upset Mount Vernon in the conference finals. And it’s not your average buzzer beater. Dude from New Ro inbounds the ball with 2.9 seconds left, it gets stolen at half court by MV, then he steals it back on a hustle play and launches it from behind half court for the win with the clock running out. Absolute mayhem in the 914. Watch above.
Listen, I grew up in White Plains, and have been to plenty of big games at the County Center, but never have I seen some shit like this. And for those unfamiliar with the local sports politics in Westchester, New Ro upsetting Mount Vernon is A BIG DEAL. Yo, this might go down as the wildest, most amazing ending in the history of Westchester County sports. Everyone in the country is talking about this shot right now. And rightfully so. It was sick.
You gotta feel bad for Mount Vernon, though. Tough loss, and as ridiculous a shot as it was, it would’ve never happened if they didn’t throw a lazy pass after the steal. But props to New Ro. They came back, and made big run to get themselves in position to win the game. And then, of course, “The Shot.” Holy cow.
My dude Killa Whale from White Plains dropped this “Fatality” freestyle a few weeks ago over one of my favorite beats from last year, the Alchemist-produced posse cut “Elimination Chamber,” and I’ve been meaning to post it for a while now. And since I’ve been literally listening to it on repeat for the last week, in the whip and in the crib, I just had to finally get it up here while it’s fresh on my brain. Always loved Whale’s bars and flow and demeanor in general, and this is just a good old-fashioned mixtape-type cut that perfectly displays his talent. You gotta love the line, “Matter fact, it’s a triple entendre, ’cause I’m high on this plane I’m on, and in the Plains I’m on.” Hard body.
Shout to all my fam in WP. Holler at your boy. Cheah.
I posted some stuff from The Underachievers recently, and last week, I had the pleasure of interviewing them for Complex. These guys are super dope, and definitely on some next shit. Check my intro, then click the link to read the full feature…
Brooklyn, New York is ripe with new hip-hop talent right now, and one of the latest groups to emerge from the borough is the quick-spitting, ganja-toking, enlightened duo of Flatbush natives known as The Underachievers. Comprised of rappers Issa Dash and AK, they created a buzz last year by dropping a string of compelling rap videos, including the one that recently garnered over one million YouTube views, “Herb Shuttles,” all of which impressed famed producer Flying Lotus enough to sign them to his Brainfeeder record label.
Earlier this month, The UA dropped their debut mixtape, Indigoism, a 17-track barrage showcasing their superlative, rapid-fire, tag-team rap skills, unique production ear, and interests in psychedelic drugs and spirituality. It set them apart from their local allies Pro Era and Flatbush Zombies, but also fell right in line with the powerful Beast Coast movement coming out of Brooklyn, rooted in lyricism, consciousness, and let’s not forget, dope ass beats.
In an effort to give us more insight into their music and budding rap career, Dash and AK fell through the Complex offices last week to talk about their influences in and out of hip-hop, their preference for psychedelics, how they got on FlyLo’s radar, opening up for Kendrick Lamar on New Year’s Eve, and their relationship with all the artists representing the new New York, from Joey Bada$$ to A$AP Rocky.
Plus, they broke down their debut mixtape, discussed how they’re approaching their first official Brainfeeder project, and remembered their close friend Capital STEEZ.
It’s time to get elevated and find out Who Are The Underachievers?
Who Are The Underachievers? | Complex
Grab their mixtape HERE.
News flash. Roc Marciano and Action Bronson are still the best rappers out. Been so fucking busy that I haven’t had much time to go in-depth here at Westcheddar like I used to, but understand that it’s after 1 am on a weeknight and I’m exhausted, but I’m still putting in the extra effort to make sure this shit gets put on the site. It has to. It’s too dope. Shit, the Bam Bam record has been out for weeks. WTF is taking me so long! I’m actually mad at myself, because this shit is sick, and Hot 97′s been giving it mad burn. As for the Roc Marc shit, well, he says he’s got the “crib in White Plains” on the track, which you may recognize as the intro to O.C.’s Lord Finesse-produced classic “Jewelz.” Man, just listen to these shits. Now. They’re both incredible.
I’ll get at you guys later. Got some more stuff I need to bless you with. Hope all is well. One.
BACK IN THE DAY |6/17/97| Capone-N-Noreaga released their deubt album, The War Report, on Penalty Records.
BACK IN THE DAY |6/17/97| Lost Boyz released their second album, Love, Peace & Napiness on Uptown Records.
15 YEARS AGO TODAY |6/14/98| The Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz, 4 games to 2, to win their sixth NBA Championship.