On this day in 1996, UGK released Ridin’ Dirty, their third studio album. If albums like Reasonable Doubt and It Was Written made 1996 what it was in New York and All Eyez on Me put on for the West Coast, Ridin’ Dirty and ATLiens completed the equation in the South. Ridin’ Dirty is UGK’s most popular album, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and 15 on the Billboard 200. Two of UGK’s greatest hits “Murder” and “One Day” are from this beloved album, and it was immortalized when Jay-Z used Bun B’s lyrics from “Touched” in verse 3 of “99 Problems.”
Author: Kelly
Today in Hip-Hop History
On this day in 1988, Eric B & Rakim released their second album Follow the Leader. This album peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, performing better than the duo’s previous album Paid in Full. Follow the Leader continued with the elements that made Eric B & Rakim famous like genius sampling and game-changing flow, and the album had well-known hits like the title track and “Microphone Fiend.” It remains a critically acclaimed album, still in the “best hip-hop albums” conversations today.
Today in Hip-Hop History
On this day in 2007, Blu & Exile released Below The Heavens. A debut album for Blu, Below The Heavens was an incredible introduction to a new artist. Each track was produced by Exile, and the album showcased the duo’s incredible chemistry. It also featured a young Aloe Blacc and a virtually unknown Miguel. Blu tackled tough topics concerning growing up in LA and became highly respected in the hip-hop community due to his raw delivery.
Today in Hip-Hop History
On this day in 1998, Beastie Boys released their fifth studio album Hello Nasty. Hello Nasty was a return for Beastie Boys, as it was released four years after their prior album Ill Communication. Beastie Boys came back hard and strong with the smash “Intergalactic” and “Body Movin,” the latter of which had one of the most creative and unique videos of that time, parodying the Italian action film, Danger: Diabolik, and directed by the late great MCA. Hello Nasty was recognized on top albums of 1998 lists for various publications, including SPIN and Rolling Stone. The album also won two Grammys: Best Alternative Music Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.
Today in Hip-Hop History
On this day in 1996, Nas released his sophomore album It Was Written. What sophomore slump? It Was Written was arguably just as good as the agreed-upon hip-hop Bible Illmatic, if not better. Nas tackled street themes, drew out a legendary gun metaphor (“I Gave You Power” is a gem), and took a step in squashing the then-prominent East Coast/West Coast beef by working with Dr. Dre. He also put his team on, introducing the world to The Firm, a group composed of himself, AZ, Cormega, and Foxy Brown.
Today in Hip-Hop History
On this day in 1971, Missy Elliott was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. Aside from being a legendary MC with five platinum albums, Missy along with Timbaland has also written for and produced numerous hits, helping along the careers of dozens of artists, including Aaliyah, 702, and Tweet. After well over 20 years in the biz, Missy continues to perform and release new music.
Logic – Wrist (feat. Pusha T)
Logic took this opportunity to add to the list of songs about wrists with his new single “Wrist” which premiered with Zane Lowe on Beats 1. Backed by a beat from 6ix, his trusty and handy producer, Logic also enlisted the help of Pusha T for this track. Despite how tired we may be of this flicking the wrist idea, Logic’s impressive flow saves him as always. Listen to the clip below.
Jon Bellion Releases Debut Album The Human Condition
For many enthusiastic Jon Bellion fans, June 10th was a highly anticipated date. After building momentum for four mixtapes, the singer/songwriter finally released his debut album The Human Condition on Capitol Records. Bellion blessed us with his 14 tracks of beautiful music with pop, EDM, and hip-hop influences, including hit tracks like “Guillotine,” “80’s Films” and “Maybe IDK.” You can buy the brand new album on iTunes here.
Jon Bellion is bringing his national tour to Houston and Dallas in July. Dallas is SOLD OUT, but Houstonians still have time to get tickets. Be sure to cop tickets before they’re gone at the link below.
7.1 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
7.2 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues (SOLD OUT)
JMSN – Power [Video]
JMSN released a new video for the song “Power” today, off his brand new album It Is. The self-directed video is simple, yet profound; it’s all about letting loose. See for yourself in the clip below.
Flatbush Zombies Houston Show 5/8/16
The Flatbush Zombies show in Houston was a movie. An epic tale of the living dead representing a New York City borough and their takeover of the largest city in the South. First up, Remy Banks got the crowd started, taking actual requests from the audience and finishing with a fire a capella verse. A$AP Twelvyy kept it going with singles like “Jay Reed” and “Trips” and brought out fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Ant aka YG Addie. The crowd turned up for the openers, but whenever the inevitable “Who’s ready to see Flatbush Zombies?” question came out, everyone in the building lost their minds. You knew the show was going to be crazy before it even began because of the reaction the crowd would have when the name “Flatbush Zombies” was mentioned or when they saw the cartoon sketches of the three zombies’ faces come up on the background screen.
The Zombies came out one at a time to perform their verses on the opening song, and by the time the last member of the group entered the stage, the crowd could barely contain themselves. And Flatbush Zombies completely delivered. Like many groups before them, Flatbush Zombies work because each member has his own unique personality. Zombie Juice showed off his distinctive high-pitched voice, his crazy triplet flows, and his pretty impressive dance moves. Erick performed “222” solo and absolutely killed it. And Meechy Darko didn’t even have to spit more than a bar for the audience to fall for him. It isn’t just his one-of-a-kind gruff vocal style; Meech grabbed the crowd and made them listen.
Every element of this show was a masterpiece. Flatbush Zombies put on a good show on their own, but it didn’t hurt that these kids knew every single word to these songs and weren’t afraid to scream them. The crowd seemed to become more and more alive with each passing song: “Bounce,” “Good Grief,” “RIP CD” and “Ascension” increased the excitement one by one. By the time they got to “Ascension” the mosh pit took over the entire venue. “Palm Trees” went off so hard that Juice didn’t even have to rap his verse; the crowd could do it for him. Meech tweeted that it was the best he’d ever seen a Houston show look, and he wasn’t exaggerating. Houston. Was. Wild.
Last Nights Crowd Was the Best I ever Saw A Houston Show Look.
THANK YALL— Fleezus Christ (@MeechIsDEAD) May 9, 2016
Each member of this audience experienced moments they’ll never forget. Meech disappearing into the moshing crowd. A break between FBZ songs to jam out to Nirvana. A performance of awesome unreleased music. Maxo Kream coming out of nowhere to perform with Flatbush Zombies. And finally, the show ended with Juice standing on top of the bar on the side of the venue. He told audience members to express their love for one another. And then he warned them not to, under any circumstances, vote for Donald Trump. Seconds later, “F**k Donald Trump” appeared on the screen. The perfect ending to the perfect night. Check out more photos from the show below.
Photos by Harley Garrett