Zone 2 Homebrew

WE HAVE MOVED!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 21:21:00 +0000

ZONE 2 HOMEBREW HAS MOVED TO ZONE2HOMEBREW.COM !!!! CHECK OUT THE NEW SITE!!!!

ZONE 2 HOMEBREW

6 Million Ways To Die

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Our continuing fascination with morbid, early 20th century style art is indulged by these awesome pictures from Bre Pettis's flickr.

30 Way To Die of Electrocution

Five Across the Eyes

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:11:00 +0000

My homie Shaka showed me this vid. You can tell it's old but I sure as hell haven't seen it before. Fast forward to about 1:55 to get straight to the action and don't miss the aftermath interview.

They see we really got Benzis...

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:08:00 +0000

Daaaamn, this one flew under the radar. Looks like Diplo and Benzi are up on the Alabama rap movement. With funky white dudes like them (and me, heyooo) cosigning this shit, you can expect the mass media to be dickriding our neighbors to the west any day now. This CD is following the NIN/Radiohead trend with a "pay what you like" system. If you pay $5.00 or more, you get the higher quality version with several other bonus tracks. "Soul Glo" is especially righteous, I can't believe it hasn't been done before. But we are in a recession, so there's a free version available as well. Don't sleep on this one!

Here's the link, dudes

BONUS - While we're on the topic of Benzi tapes, I gotta post this - Benzi and Plain Pat - Sky High

Link, bros
This one comes via Metal Lungies
"We Got The Remix" is keeping the quality top notch foreal. Kanye fans shouldn't miss this shit. Enjoy!

9 Artists to Watch in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:51:00 +0000

I won't put a long ass intro here. Let's just get into it:

9. Southern Charm

Southern Charm earned himself a place on my list after having 2008's out-of-nowhere jam, "I Feel".

Download it

Speaking of coming out of nowhere, 3 of the 9 artist on this list represent Alabama. Thought you'd never see the day? Don't tell that to any of these guys. Their come up is long overdue. Southern Charm is from my mom's hometown of Birmingham and is looking to put it on the map. Check out his MySpace for more.

8. Jackie Chain

Huntsville, Alabama's own Jackie Chain is another artist who could have been on this list off the strength of one song, but solidified it with several others. Jackie produced "Rollin", probably my favorite beat of 2008. He took the sample from Robert Miles' "Children" but flipped it just right, skillfully omitting the trance drums and replacing them with some 808 thump:

Next up is a collabo mixtape with Shamrock hosted by DJ Burn One, keep your eyes peeled.

7. DG Yola
I talked about Yola in an earlier post. With Gucci and OJ all on his mixtape, is Yola gonna be making any official moves to So Icy Ent? I don't know, but he was supposed to have been inducted into P$C after "Ain't Gon Let Up" and nothing ever seemed to materialize. So we'll see about that, but you can trust that Yola will be on the grind for '09 with or without a big name affiliation.

6. Shawty Redd

Even if you don't know who Shawty Redd is, you probably know who he is. I mean, shit, look at his track record for the last couple years (and that list is definitely missing some). He's one of the most influential (read: bitten) producers out right now and he made this list because he seems to be stepping more into the forefront lately, on the performer side of things. Check out his (kinda) latest, "End of Da Night". Via BLVD ST.

5. Rich Boy

Let me start by saying Rich Boy's self-titled debut was amazing. Polow da Don brought his A game to the album. A lot of critics say that Polow was the one who carried the album. But anyone who's really listening knows that the Alabama Ambassador was the soul of the record. Rich Boy is a rap artist in the truest sense: you can tell that his rhymes come straight from the heart with zero filter. "Bigger Than the Mayor" was one of the most serious mixtapes last year, so I have high hopes for Rich Boy to hurdle the sophomore jinx and make another great album.

Check out how he goes the fuck in on Jackie Chain's beat:

Download it

4. Curren$y

The Hot Spitta should need no introduction. I knew he could spit from some of his appearances on Wayne shit but it wasn't until JDOWN told me to listen to his solo joints that I realized how tight he is. Not only does Curren$y win the award for Best Mixtape Names of 2008, but each of them has been a banger. It's really pretty incredible that he's not a huge name by now. If I had to describe his overall style, I'd say it's somewhere between Devin the Dude, Lil Wayne, and Compton Ass Terry. Plus, he makes just about the only video blog worth watching: MythBlazers

3. OJ Da Juiceman

If you've been walking around the way and heard grown ass men yelling "Aye! Okay! Damn!" in high pitched voices, the congratulations, the Juiceman has touched your life. Hailing from the East side, OJ is without a doubt the hottest up-and-comer in Atlanta right now and the internet hype you see can't even hold a candle to his word-of-mouth buzz. He's a fan favorite and he has the adlib game on smash. If you haven't yet, check out his mixtape with DJ Smallz. If you're at all a fan of trap music (no snap music here, sorry), you need some OJ in your collection.

OJ da Juice ft Gucci Mane - Do It (Produced by Shawty Redd)

2. B.O.B.

Here's an older post with a link to B.O.B.'s latest mixtape, "Who The Fuck Is Bob?". We've seen what he can do musically on his mixtapes. Will he be able to construct a classic album? It's a whole different ballgame, but I think he has the potential.

1. Gucci Mane

Why is Gucci the Number 1 to watch for 2009? Well, he had the best mixtape of the year and a couple others that were Top 10 caliber. His trouble with the law netted him the publicity he needed to have Q4 on lock in terms of hype. When Gucci gets out, you can expect this site and all the other blogs to be flooded with tracks. Gucci at first seems like your run-of-the-mill d-boy rapper. But as you're drawn end by his seemingly endless supply of banging beats, you start to realize that Gucci can really spit. You can't rightly call him one thing - punchline rapper, trap rapper, club rapper, mixtape rapper - he's all these and more. With a cult of personality rapidly growing behind The Glacier, 2009 is looking pretty Icy.

cook by the book

noreply@blogger.com (timmytouch) — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:40:00 +0000

This is simply too much. The internet managed to team up lil' jon with the icelandic children's show lazy town to show us all that it's a piece of cake to bake a pretty cake, if the way is hazy.

BANG BANG BANG

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:41:00 +0000

If you aren't a fan of Killer Mike on Facebook, you really should be. Not only is the man currently making the best music of his career thus far, but his page is constantly sending ill shit to its members. I'm talkin albums, bitches. Last month Mike sent out a message to all his fans containing a link to Ghetto Extraordinary, and I would have missed it for sure if not for the Facebook page.

More recently, his page sent out a link to DJ Jamad, DJ Wreckineyez, and Don Cannon's new mixtape, The Delivery Guys. This shit is righteous, a nice 2008 wrap up kinda tape that features a lot of the artists that were making real, good music this year. Good lookin out to whoever runs Killer's page, and keep the shit coming!

HERE'S THE LINK

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 02:54:00 +0000

Pass the 40 cuz my mother's not lookin

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:59:00 +0000

I know most of the people reading this blog have never tasted a St Ides (myself included), but their marketing campaign in the mid 90s was pretty unique. They basically rounded up some of the era's best emcees and had em cut short songs about St Ides. It's pretty amazing that St Ides managed to get such a sick lineup for their campaign. I was gonna make a joke about the rappers being paid in beer, but every artist is a "classic" hip hop artist and probably got a legit paycheck. Special Ed probably would have done it for a plastic bag full of 22ozs, but hindsight is 20/20.
If you ever wondered what the song was in the intro of Spot Rusherz, it's the Wu Tang St Ides spot:

I heard most of these a while back on some forums, but the Smoking Section posted this compilation and I saw a great opportunity to jack their link and share this with yall.

St Ides Commercials:

1. Snoop Doggy Dogg & Nate Dogg
2. Warren G.
3. Nate Dogg
4. MC Eiht
5. Scarface
6. Wu-Tang Clan
7. Snoop Doggy Dogg
8. Ice Cube
9. Ice Cube & The Geto Boys
10. Jay-Z
11. The Notorious B.I.G.
12. 2Pac & Snoop Doggy Dogg
13. Rakim
14. Cypress Hill
15. 2Pac

Next up - The Milwaukee's Best Compilation, featuring Joe Buddens, Eric Sermon, RBX and Fredro Starr

DJ Holiday and Yung Ralph - Welcome to Juuglanta

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:42:00 +0000

Sorry for the hiatus, folks. Here's some shit that my boys Evan and Will put me on to. The Aphiliates are keepin the streak alive with this one. Juuuuuuuuuug!!!

DJ Holiday and Yung Ralph - Welcome to Juuglanta

Bomb in the Bushes

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 23:15:00 +0000

Sorry for the hiatus. Check out this heat though:

DJ Smallz and OJ da Juiceman - I Got the Juice

Some pictures that describe this mixtape:

Yeah, we've heard some of these before. But all things considered, this one is even better than Juiceworld, I think. Enjoy.

Roll Deep

noreply@blogger.com (timmytouch) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:55:00 +0000

The new 10.Deep holiday mixtape, THE NEW DEAL is out. It was put together by the always-on-point DJ Benzi. Make sure you check out the remix of the Jackie Chain joint 'Rollin' -which was easily the jam of last summer for me and is now complimented with a solid verse from kid cudi.

GRIND TIME!!!

noreply@blogger.com (timmytouch) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 19:57:00 +0000

It turns out that there is justice in this world. According to HipHopDX, Killer Mike just signed to Grand Hustle. Looks like the grind's finally paying off.

Check out THIS excellent Mass Appeal interview with Killer and the MassAppealTV feature we did on big homie last located on the sidebar player after the jump. Bang! Bang! Bang!

The new Dick in a Box

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:14:00 +0000

With this it's official: Andy Samberg is the man

Bonecrusher with DJ Burn One - Planet Crusher

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:13:00 +0000

DJ Burn One, who runs the dope blog BLVD ST, just posted this mixtape he did with Bonecrusher. It's a tight ass mixtape. Look out for the songs with Cee-Lo and Too $hort/Pimp C.

Here's the link

Don't sleep on Bonecrusher! You might think since he's so crunk that he's not intelligent, but you'd be dead wrong. Dude is actually writing a cook book and has appeared on Iron Chef America as a judge. And if you read any of his interviews or watch his videos, you can tell he's got something more to say than "Neva Scared". So check this shit out! Props again to DJ Burn One

Future Apes don't need no reason to smoke shit, drink shit, ball with ya girlfriend

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:35:00 +0000

I know I have been posting a lot today but I had to do this. The Future Ape Tapes crew of Athens/Atlanta GA just released their newest album, DNA Superstar, and you can get it on iTunes. If you've never heard them before, check out their album "Art of Darkness" for free. If I had to say what they sounded like, I'd say it's like if Lupe was signed to Def Jux and started a group. These guys are definitely comin out of left field but they're definitely a creative presence here in Athens. Plus they let me freestyle sometimes at their weekly show at the Rye Bar. So peep it!

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Eli is officially the most famous person ever to come from Chamblee High School. Hell yeah.

UGK fans stand up (or sit down at the computer)

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:05:00 +0000

Check out this post from Metal Lungies. It's from a series they do called "Beat Drop" and it's all about Pimp C. They have a bunch of notable hip hop bloggers and some first-hand anecdotes from Bun B himself. It's one of the best blog posts I've ever read. I hope one day I can do something like this.

Ron Browz better watch out

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:47:00 +0000

The Casket Drop

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:01:00 +0000

Here's a link, via Complex, for the Clipse mixtape I posted a track from a few posts down. Shit downloads quick as hell, so thank Marc Ecko next time you see him. I haven't listened to the whole thing yet but I'm pretty excited for an entire Clipse mixtape without Ab Liva and Sandman (who apparently has parted ways with the Re Up Gang). Anyways, enjoy and drop comments if you are so inclined.

Clipse - Road To Til The Casket Drops Mixtape

You're so vain...

noreply@blogger.com (timmytouch) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:48:00 +0000

This is hilarious. Colbert roasting Kanye on account of 808's and Heartbreak outselling Colbert's Christmas on itunes. West called himself, "The voice of this generation, of this decade." He might be too strange for this world, that's the most ridiculous quote I've heard thus far.

Live by the herb, die by the herb

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:37:00 +0000

This article is dope. Apparently they found a 2,700 year old weed stash in an acnient Chinese tomb.

The cache of cannabis is about 2,700 years old and was clearly ``cultivated for psychoactive purposes," rather than as fibre for clothing or as food, says a research paper in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

The 789 grams of dried cannabis was buried alongside a light-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian man, likely a shaman of the Gushi culture, near Turpan in northwestern China.

Does this mean white people are the first known weed smokers? I am suddenly way more proud of my heritage. Also, I think I figured out the world's most awesome job:

The 18 researchers, most of them based in China, subjected the cannabis to a battery of tests, including carbon dating and genetic analysis. Scientists also tried to germinate 100 of the seeds found in the cache, without success.

The marijuana was found to have a relatively high content of THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, but the sample was too old to determine a precise percentage.

Researchers also could not determine whether the cannabis was smoked or ingested, as there were no pipes or other clues in the tomb of the shaman, who was about 45 years old.

I'm definitely gonna be looking out for the Marijuana Research Facility booth at the next career fair I attend.

Get to Stompin

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 23:26:00 +0000

HighSnobiety got these pictures of the Spring 09 Air Force 1 pack. These shits are tiiiiiight!

I'm especially feeling the dripping "gravel" print.

These are sick too:

Clipse - Big Dreams

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:48:00 +0000

Big Dreams

From "Road to Til the Casket Drops"

Two fights at the Dirty Awards, Plus - President Bush Pardons John Forte - WTF?!

noreply@blogger.com (Optimus Dime) — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 05:10:00 +0000

The 2008 Dirty Awards, in line with a strong tradition of violent hip hop award shows, was the scene of TWO different fights.

Shawty Lo's crew vs Grand Hustle (UPDATED: Good Video)

Dirty Awards 2008 Battle Between T.I. and Shawty Lo from Gyant on Vimeo.

UPDATE: You can see the dude in the orange polo up on stage with Grand Hustle at the beginning of the video. I guess he caught an accidental shot from Alfamega? At least he avoided a direct pepper spraying to the face:

NahRight put up a series of great pics. Kinda fucked up how everyone on stage is still up there singing while their boy is laying on the ground surrounded by broken chairs and dinner plates. He got Scott LaRocked. Why would you get in between those two gigantic dudes? Alfamega looks like he could enter and win an infant eating contest.

Taking an obvious backseat to this buffoonery was a scrap between Jeezy's camp and LA the Darkman. If you've heard Dedication 3, then by now you should have heard some mediocre verses by the Darkman. He's actually one of the Aphilliates, which means he works for DJ Drama. If you recognize his name from somewhere else, it's because he used to be a Wu-Tang affiliate back in the day. Turns out he's also Willie Da Kid's brother. Well anyway, apparently his dudes got into it with Jeezy's. Hip Hop DX has the story. The word is that CTE left the place bloodied up. Sucks for them.

BONUS

From USA Today:

COMMUTATIONS:

John Edward Forte (North Brunswick, N.J.)
Offense: Aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine; 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A)(ii), 18 U.S.C. § 2.
Sentence: Nov. 20, 2001; Southern District of Texas; 168 months in prison, five years’ supervised release and a $5,000 fine.

In case you were wondering, John Forte was an old Fugees producer who got busted with like 5 kilos of liquid cocaine. In a completely inexplicable move, outgoing President G. W. Bush commuted his sentence, cutting it almost in half. I tried to search the internet for some reason as to why he did this. Miss Info posted some old interviews but didn't really explain how the hell W heard about the case or why he put him on the pardon list. This story just struck me as incredibly odd. Experts (ie anonymous blog commentators) seem to agree on some sort Ivy League connection between the Yale-educated president and the incredibly obscure, Philips-Exeter bred hip hop producer.

It's also strange that George W looked out for Forte more than Wyclef...

Notice how he doesn't mention anything about commuting John Forte's sentence. Do all those long nights in the refugee camp mean nothing to him?