Cash Rules...

Sat down on a stoop in Southside tonite and vibed wit my OG. A dude that lived the life most of these so called "gangsta rappers" wish they could portray. It still bugs me out to see how mellow he has become in the last few years. My G was saying how the hood is getting to him and how there seems to be a dark cloud over "this war zone we call home". I agreed, saying how the hood reminds me of a ghost town because I look at certain spots I used to kick it at and I see people that are no longer here.

We talked about our crazy ass neighbors and how a next door neighbor's filth can affect us, the people living next to them. We talked about our fathers and how stressful it can be to deal with them and their expectations versus our own. We talked about finding ways to maintain. My man mentioned how he knows maad millionaires but has never been the type to try an eat off the next man's plate. I agreed wholeheartedly.

Then he brought up something that put things in perspective. He mentioned my oldest Brother, whose going thru some rough times and has been for a lil while. He said that my Brother "whines about his problems. Nobody wants to hear any whining. You think YOU the only one wit problems?"

That hit me especially hard.

I did a lil whining just the night before via an email blast. Attached to that email was one of my most personal joints off my new album Better Than Fiction.

Got hardly any reaction. And I think I mighta figured out why.

Goes back to what my man said about my Brother. Nobody wants to hear bout problems when they got their own to be concerned wit.

I always thought that if cats ca relate to the theme of the song then they gon dig it.

My man said another thing that stuck wit me. He said that in order to have a plan to make moves then you gotta have steady income.

I know what thats like. Worst thing is to not know when or where you gon make ya next dollar.

I wanna salute all the paper chasers. Cause its real in the field right now.

Cash Rules.... Get Yours......

The Resurgence

I was cruising down the streets of Sugar Hill last Thursday December 16, 2010 enjoying my vacation and thinking... Damn 2010 been some sh*t! Lotta good happened this year. Lotta bullsh*t happened as well.

In the end tho? Im still happy to be here. Been working hard as always, even though I got slowed up this year due to a newfound blessing and curse in disguise. Regardless of what, Im paying my bills and handling my family B.I., which is more than I can say for a lotta cats at da moment.

Classified Recordings is in a state of Resurgence. Due to a wack mishap I had to shut down classifiedrec.com. But Im workin on a new website wit a new url. Planning to have CDs and t shirts on the site. All of that will be coming soon. A lot fitna pop in 2011. Did a lot of chasing in 2010. Now Im moving onto phase 2... gettin the people to come to me. Obviously, this aint't gon be an easy task, but I been working on how I can make it happen.

Better Than Fiction will drop in 2011 more than likely on Classified Recordings. Also looking to drop an album entitled "Thinking Out Loud" which will hopefully be my defining achievement. Following that Im looking to complete an album entitled "Spectrum" featuring my man IV on production. Our group name is UnderCurrent.

Also got a couple of EPs Im hoping to finish. Bout to step up production something serious.

I'm also looking to drop an instrumental album featuring my non-sampling production. Tentative title is Southside Lullabies. Check http://www.junclassic.bandcamp.com to hear the old new joint "Changes". Also got a link to the first single from Better Than Fiction on da page. Song is called "Wonder".

So there's a lot coming. Im ready to show yall my potential.

Please stay tuned...

Peace

junMaf*ckn

Illest Lines In HipHop

Due to the good folks over at HiphopDx.com, I feel compelled to do an entry at this VERY moment even tho its almost 2 am and Im bent as hell from a day of recording, gettin righteous, drinking wine wit seltzer (did you know wine had twice as much alcohol as BEER? My bad Ceez but that sh*t is f*ckn amazing) then I did a whole lot more recording.

But I been thinkin bout them Lite Posts NahRight be having and Im surprised I ain't saw one yet about Hip Hops Illest lines.... suprised Unkut.com or kevinnottingham.com didn't beat me to this.... maybe they did and im just playin myself.

Maybe not tho!

So Ima pick a random few that i think are potentially the illest friggin lines a emcee has come up wit. In no random order..... ofcourse hahaa... yeaa Im cheatin... do suttin....

Big Daddy Kane - "Put A Quater in ya Ass cause You Played Yaself" - This line is sooo friggin crazy caue for one he spit it on the Symphony wit cats like Ase, Craig G and ofcourse The Kool Genius of Rap goin for lyrical supremecy on that shit. Wit that ONE Line Kane took it.

Big L - "Known To Catch More Bodies Than Abortion Clinics" - I ain't really gotta say much about that one. And that was in like 92 93 if Im not mistaken offa single called "Devil's Son". L was The Future. God Bless ya Life Lamont Coleman.

Kane West - Now I Gotta Preclude This by Saying Im Not The Biggest Fan of this Fella. His Beat Game is Crazy. Give Him That All Day. UnfortunatelyMy Bias Stems From A Personal Encounter at a Instore for Graduation in 2007. Save That Story For Another Entry. Maybenot. Regardless, when this man said the line I'm about to say, he damn near made me choke on my pepsi when he ended his verse with, "Ima Tell You like George Bush Told Me/ Fuck You Niggas Im Outta Here!" - Now thats some funny ass real Shit. I Ca See Dubya Sayin That shit...

2Pac - "Even Tho You was a Crack Pheneeee Momma/ You Always Was a Black Queeeeeen Momma" To Say Something So Raw to Anybody, let alone ya MOMS, and the wild contradiction of the description, full of pain and admiration all in the same line, that line just might be the most simple, complex lyrical phrasing in HipHop.

Nas - "That Buck That Boughta Bottle Coulda Struck The Lotto" - Nas Is The GOAT is my opinion. I think there's NO ONE that can do what he does and in the same token he can do what everyone does if he wanted to. But wit that line da God Nasir symbolized the juztaposition of hope being outdone by dispair all in one line.

GZA - "Keep it Brief Son/Half Short Twice Strong" - Anybody doin any type of expression, not just emcees, should take head to that jewel GZA dropped back on that Wu Forever "As High As Wu Tang Get" in 97.

Jay Z - The Whole Damn "Can I Live" Pretty Much. "Convenient Amnesia". "I Rather Die Enormous Than Live Dormant/Thats How We Onnn Iiiit!"

Raekwon - The Whole Spot Rusherz from The Purple Tape - Can't Even Quote That Shit. That Was Movie Rap before Rick Ross...

I Know Im Wildin But I Take My Lines Seriously Too Sheeeiiit. Since 95. Ask DJ Envy. My man JP caught this one... "All Fours Hardcore Thats My Lil Freak/She Do It For Tha D Like Eminem Over a Dilla Beat". I Got a Few. "Nobody Beats The Biz Its Diabolical" - Might Need to be Over 30 for dat last One. Maybe 32...

Lemme See If Anybody actually Reading This Shit. if So hit me wit some lines....

Whooooaaaaa..

Can't forget a few crazy lines that just came to me from some of the top spitters...

Lord Finesse said in 89 I think - "I Got So Much Game I Run Wit My own Cartridge" - Thats Friggin crazy....

Canibus said - "Whenever The Head Is Severed From the Human Body Witta Sharp Enuff Weapon The Brain Remains Conscious for 10 Seconds/ Long Enuff For Me To Give Ya One Last Message/ And When You Get To Hell You Ca Tell /Lucifer I Said It!" - I Know Thats More Than 1 Line But Maaan Thats Friggin Canibus. on hot 97 IN 1997.

I Read a PunchLine (from eMC) line where he said in like 98 "You A Pain in the Ass Like Anal Sex" - Thats Hard For Back There... uhhh Pun Intended? back then .... yea...

Method Man Is One of The Best. Tryin To think.... I Remember a dude quoting him on the Q7 Bus by John Adams High School back in 94 from Tical. He said "When im Good Im Goood When Bad Im Better" - Ahead of His Time. He Bodied That New Black Out Album. He said, "I Think Harder Than These Young Niggas Think They Is..." Speaking of Which...

RedMan - "I Don't Give a Fuck I'll Slap Blood Outta Midget" - RedMan is a GOAT. The GrandFather To Ludacris, Pops To Canibus, Eminem, shit even Big Mafuggin Pun.

Big Pun - This Dude Said, "First it Was Nasty Nas Now Watch Me Turn The Apple Into MacIntosh" - Fuckin Unstoppable. God Bless ya Soul My Genius...

Tony Yayo -"Make a Quick 20 Mil and Vanish in Thin Air" - Truer Words Where Never Spoken my G

50 Cent - "Treat This Shit Like A BackCatcher/ Show a Sign and The Throw Somethin At Cha" - Gangsta Grizzills!

Eminem - Dude Goes In On That New Album - "Call me Elton John/ Cause Im Just a Mean CockSucker" - hahahahaaa That White Nigga Crazy!

Fabolous - This Dude Is A Problem - "Wit Ya Fake Ass They Should Call You Booty Shots" -ahem Nicki! ahem... "Rims So Big Midgets Use Em As Body Mirrors"

Lil Wayne - Found Out He Had Lyrics on them Sqad Up tapes back In Like 2000. Wayne Got Lines Man.... Just can't Think Of None Right Now...

What Does It Matter? Yall Ain't Paying Attention Anyway.... if so gimmie some Wayne Lines....

When Keepin It Real Gets.... Corny

Bout a week ago or so I had an experience that left a mark witta sharpe... meaning I think its gon be there for awhile.

Being from an urban environment (and living there my whole life) every now an then you.. how can i say... become a product of the environment. In other words, you get on some rah rah shit every now and again and do something that ya momma or ya girl might call ig'nant.

Pun did a song and labeled it "That Nigga Shit" which is maad interesting coming from a Puerto Rican brother but thats a whooooole 'Nother Convo... or blog or twitter topic nowadays.

So, gettin back the story, Im rolling down Baisley Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens knockin some gangsta shit. The beat was hard as f*ck!

I pull up to the red light. Lookin around an shit and I ca feel somebody staring at me. I look over and see this youngin' who IMMEDIATELY averts his eyes to the floor as soon as I look his direction. But since I was on some rah rah shit I decided to just sit there and stare at this kid. I must grilled the poor kid for a good 15-20 seconds. His eyes acted like they were trying to life a weight they just couldn't handle and he never made eye contact with me once.

After all the ig'nant hostile look foolishnes ssubsided in me I looked at the kid for another 5 seconds and I swear his features reminded me of my lil nephew Corey. Maan this kid looked so much like my nephew it scared me.

At that moment I felt a tidal wave of shame just wash over me man. I can't even describe how bad I felt to recognize that I straight intimidated a kid who was just tryin to be a kid.

On some ig'nant shit.

It was especially ignorant because I expected the kid to be on the same rah rah shit I was on when I felt him lookin at me. But instead it was the opposite. It was ignorant cause I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Maybe it was the music. The hood vibe on that late night ridin around stuff that Roc Marciano referenced on his superb solo album Marcberg.

Bottom line is, this kid that I thought wanted problems ain't want nuttin. He made it known immediately and I felt like the cornball tryin to be tough for no reason.


My Bad Lil Homie...

1 Up

Fat Beats or BUST

So yea yo, today was a gloomy lookin Sunday afternoon in NYC. Was coming down offa having a dope time with my special ladyluv. I saved a black cat from gettin its ass kicked in Washington Heights by a bigger grey cat this morning. Felt good about dat. Me and Babygirl watched bootlegs of A Team and Splice. Splice was actually pretty good. We tried to watch Salt but the bootleg had some ill artsy delay that I thought was cool till I realized I couldn't understand what the f*ck was going on in the flick. Anyhow, its Sunday afternoon and I had maaad work to do @ da crib.

But the bug suddenly hits me.... had me thinking, "Lemme go git that new eL P instrumental album. Shit will give a Brother some inspiration."

Quick backdrop. I don't consider myself a producer. Not yet anywayz. But I have done production for myself (and others) and EVER SINCE Zoo York showed me love by posting the joint I did for Monsta X ("Lion On My Arm" offa The Howling EP coming soon but "Lion... " can now be heard right now on the Zoo York field report) and Producers i Know followed me on twitter I've been kinda itchin to get back on my beat shit.

I don't sample by the way. My ASCAP publishing is friggin Eff A Sample Publishing. Do all my beats on a Fantom X6 keyboard I copped in 2005. Haven't made beats since 2008.

But I got 500 + beats in that board. And now that I got almost 50,000 views on a beat I made (and Zoo York cosigned) I been fiending to start making some shit again.

Peep dis vid at 3:35 for my beatwork... X waddup Cat Daddy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4srEJB6IyXs&feature=youtu.be

To get back to my obsession wit coppin that eL P album, reason why is because eL P inspires me with his sounds. He use them spacey synths with the hard ass drums. His drum work is friggin incredible. But I love his ear for sounds too. Pretty sure he samples but he inspire a non sampling non musician nigga like myself none the less.

So I take my ass down to Fat Beats NYC (after calling em 4 times wit no answer - not like them - they ALWAYS answer the phone), get down there and the store is closed! I couldn't friggin believe it! But they were closed for a good cause tho... Rocksteady Anniversary. Shit wish I was there my damn self. Crazy Legs Whats Good My G?

But here I am gettin stung by the beatbug just fiending for eL P's new album.

I figure to myself, "This is The Village NYC. Underground HipHop damn near started right here an shit. Im SURE I can find eL-P's album even tho it don't drop till Tuesday."

So I troop from 6th Ave to 3rd ave and St Mark's to my spot Norman's Sounds. I used to cop albums early from this spot all the time. Copped DipSet's first double cd right here. Think I copped JayLib there. Not sure. Suttin else dope tho.

I get up in there and ask dude for eL P's new album and he's like, "whose eL P?" I was like, "Huh? Maan eL P! el producto!" Homie was like "We Don't have that man. Try Sounds around the corner."

I hop skip and jump down the block to Sounds and an older Brother is behind the counter lookin bent the hell up while kickin it with a rock n roll looking customer. I stroll up like, "Scuse me fam, yall got the new eL P?" HE was like, "eL P?" I was like, "Yea man eL producto, HipHop." he was like "Try Rocket Science across the street."

Shit wasn't across the street it was wayyyy down the block AND across the street. I get to Rocket Science and its hotter than Arizona Immigration in there. Dude behind the counter steady vibin wit some dude about some $130 cd he copped or sold off e Bay. SOME shit like that... I dunno I was looking to see if the devil was in that bitch sweatin'. He finally asked me if he could help me and I was like, "Looking for the new eL P cd". Ofcourse he ain't know who the hell eL P was. I was like, "eL Producto. HipHop." He said they ain't sell HipHop. I asked for Kim's video, another popular spot from The Village that recently relocated offa St Marks and 3rd ave. He said they moved to 1st ave.

I was getting aggy and my bottle of water was running out. Strolled down to St Marks and 1st ave and saw this spot called Rainbow Music saying they buy and sell cds. I walked up in there and maan the shit looked like DJ Clue's basement or some shit. All i saw was maaaaaaaad cds stacked on top of one another. Two shady lookin dudes (only cats in there) looked at me over their shoulder and I asked, "Yall sell hipHop?" Short older dude said, "Sometimes." I jetted right up outta there.

Kim's Video was down the block. I went up in there asking for the el P cd and dude was like, "We Don't have that." I asked for a new release section and he pointed to the back. Went back there and was surprised to see Fat Joe and Slum Village's new cds. I was like, "ahhh HipHop! Where have u been?" They even had MadLib's new cds in there including the one wit the rabbits bonin' in the forest. Love MadLib but I ain't even think about copping that cd. Was on my eL P mission. Looked around and saw no eL P cd.

Went back to the front ready to leave and saw they had a bunch of Wax Poetics magazines. Saw the one wit Barry White on the cover and got sold on the D'Angelo piece.

Copped and hopped.

No friggin eL P cd.

Can't even find unreleased HipHop in The Village ona Sunday afternoon no mo. Shit broke my heart....

Well, got work to do and simply don't feel like doing it so Ima get right and watch the BoonDocks and zone out to some beats and that Freddie Gibbs track with the janet Jackson "Thats the way love goes" sample.... 4861 Broadway I think he call it offa Str8 Killa.... that shit go hard. Ima also zone to my new joint I did on Friday night. Recorded over some new Husky shit.... I think Monsta Island Czar fans and MadVillian fanatics gon' dig it.

Anybody know how to pitch music to Adult Swim?

Mornings Was HashBrowns Mixtape will be brought to you by DJ Tre Unda and some other good homies ina few weeks.

Oh yo! Peep my verse on the Kevingnottingham.com remake of Mama Said Knock You Out Yo!

X Bodies this shit too....

http://kevinnottingham.com/2010/08/01/mama-said-knock-you-out-remix-album-artwork-tracklist-download-title-track/

BigggUp to Kevinnottingham.com. They support!

1

Entry Numero Uno

Whats Good Digital World! Figured I'd get down with the blog craze meng... I got a lot goin on in my head so I might as well share it yaknow? So here goes...

Maan I know Rick Ross ain't the most authentic but that song "Tears Of Joy" is friggin incredible. Ceelo bodies that shit and the beat (even widdout the snare) is just insane. I like Rawse's flow on that shit too.

Im feeling Fat Joe's new album too. Got some crazy beats on there. The Preemo track they leaked last week is bonkers too. Preem always hit Joey wit somethin special.

I just put up my Late Nites and Early Mournings EP on bandcamp.com. So peep junclassic.bandcamp.com if u wanna hear some dope free junMaf*ckn music.

My 2nd mixtape Mornings Was HashBrowns is dropping ina couple of weeks. Got some dope features on there so please stay tuned my Geez.

Yo yall hear about homie that got shot in the face in Soho over a parking spot? Who gets bodied in Soho? For all my non New Yorkers, Soho is a ritzy, money makin part of Manhattan wit no type of hood vibe to it whatsoever. Save for rapper extraordinaire doin some shoping for a Prada heinkerchief or some shit. But chea, who gets bodied in Soho? A EMS nigga that let a pregant Black lady die of a heart attack in Au Bon Pain in NYC December 2009 because, according to him, he was ona "lunch break". Yup, THAT dude.

Karma yo... shit ain't a game baby.

Unfortunately I gotta go do some homework for my 9 to 5. Not really feelin the fact that a nigga gotta do work at home for his "job" but it is what it is. Specially when unemployment is as ubiquitous as tight pants and bright colors in the hood right about now.

Sheeeiiit this bloggin stuff just might be fun... Yall Stay Up

100

junMaf*ckn