Voltron's Coming Thru

I'm trying not to get my hopes up but it sounds like the album might actually be good.

...And it looks like ODB's presence is sorely missed.
...And Ghostface came through and laid down three tracks.

Credit: Nahright

Finding Forever In Black Hollywood

First off, the album cover is ridiculous. The sad thing is that someone in his camp let this slide and thought it'd be a good idea. Why?

Finding Forever is better than Be but not his strongest work by any stretch. Pretty much all three tracks I heard prior to the album's release ("The People", "The Game" and "Drivin' Me Wild") were fantastic. I put this in today and couldn't get past "Start The Show". I had it on repeat and couldn't get enough. It's the best track on the album because it's got the whole package. Common slinging verbal fire over the best track Kanye has put together in a while. It's that good. My favorite track hands down.

The rest of the album is fine although I probably won't listen to the Will.I.Am produced "I Want You" again. It's the only song on Finding Forever I don't like. All in all, good work Com (& Kanye).

I would give you a track or two but just go buy the album.

As for Camp Lo's Black Hollywood, a little disappointing. I was expecting more, production-wise, from Ski. "Sweet Claudine" and "Black Hollywood" are effective even in complacency. They're pretty much the standout tracks on this album. I really picked up the album to see what Ski had to offer. Nothing mind blowing here, just serviceable beats that kind of meander along. Now if only I was a fan of Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba, maybe it could've been a more of a pleasant listening experience. I don't know, not many quotables worth noting. Maybe you can get something more informative from him.

"Sweet Claudine"
"Black Hollywood"

Cosmic Slop

Say it isn't so. Well, S&TR always welcomes your great posts and looks forward to more dusky jewels like this.

I was never really a Niners fan but Bill Walsh was a class act. R.I.P. (BTW, whoever coined the term "west coast offense" should be shot in the knee caps. What does it even mean anyway? Walsh himself didn't even like the term and refused to utter it.)

I don't know how or where Just Blaze finds time to blog but he's my blogroll hero right now. The Megatron Don is priceless.

Speaking of Just Blaze, the new Saigon? Most anticipated. Not sure if this is going to be the lead single from The Greatest Story Never Told but it's crazy raucous and should be. I don't know. I have a feeling the lead single's gonna have an R&B hook with bells and whistles. Don't rain on my parade like that.

Saigon: "Don't You Baby"

The King Of Running Things...

I've been wondering what he's been up to. Perfect timing for The 45 King interiew. All I want to know is when is the new shit with Chill Rob G going to drop? "Let Me Show You"? One of my all time favorites. "Chill is a prefix/Rob is a proper noun/G is for greatness/ I don't wanna debate this/The way that I'm rising I appear to be weightless."

"Lay You Out, Show You What Steel Do..."

Galt MacDermot: "Ripped Open By Metal Explosions"

Godfather Don: "Properties Of Steel"

Talking heads do just that. It's obvious that public opinion is not something he's much concerned about as his administration plods along.

Jay-Ski

I'm sure Jay-Z has some fine tracks floating around out there. You have to figure that with the incredible talent that he has coupled with the efficiency of an assembly line, he must have recorded an astronomical amount of material during his long career - some terrible, some good. I found something good, really good.

Ski, who was instrumental in ushering in J-Hova's flow to the masses through the bulk of the tracks he produced for Jay-Z's debut Reasonable Doubt, has been relatively quiet throughout the years. Other than his work and affiliation with Harlem's Camp Lo, he's mostly known for lending his production savvy to the early, slim Roc-A-Fella roster.

Well he hasn't been docile by any means.

Ski just happens to have a mixtape for free download on his Myspace page in case you slept. It's got some nice treats on it too. The Jean Grae track is addictive with that melancholy piano loop Ski cooked up. The absolute ringer on this though is a lost Jay-Z track. It's perfect. From what I can tell from Jay's outtro it was probably meant to be a primer for his underwhelming Blueprint 2.0. I can't believe this is the first time I've heard it. It's short but the effect is undeniable. He basically lays out his naysayers over Ski's groovy 2+ minute conconction- "I hear the people talk/ Whistlin' when you walk..."

Jay-Z: "People Talking"

LCD Soundsystem

There are some songs that just take you there. LCD Soundsystem's current single is one of those songs. It's almost like a throwback to the 80's modern rock summer anthems. You know, the kinds of songs that transport you to a particular time and place and stirs that dormant sentimentality of yours.

"All My Friends"

The Swarm

The Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams might, just might be coming this year. Can we count on these guys to form like Voltron and shakedown the industry once again for old times sake? The outcome is critical. URB Magazine ponders the math.

"It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen because it's inevitable - it has to happen," RZA says. "[But] if it's not coming this year, it ain't comin' at all. That's my opinion. If it doesn't come this year, it don't mean nothin' no more."

The GZA & Inspectah Deck: "Yes Yes Y'all/Let Me At 'Em"
Method Man: "Mr. Mef"

Vibes 'n Stuff

Grant Green: "Down Here On The Ground"