Old School Song Of The Week

Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs - "I Got To Have It" Ahhh, this song takes me back. I remember when this album came out, summer of 1991; I was 14 years old, listening to the tape on my friend's boombox while we played basketball. Not a care in the world.

And a strong debut album it was. Boston based, Ed O.G & Da Bulldogs dropped "Life of a Kid in the Ghetto" and it immediately became an instant hit amongst the hip hop crowd, including the songs "Bug-A-Boo" and "Be A Father To Your Child," which still hold up to this day. However, the group went the way of many hip hop acts of the time, getting left behind or unnoticed amongst the increasing radio popularity of hip hop and the rise of West Coast rap.

And that's why I do this, so classic songs and groups from hip hop's greatest era are not forgotten. So without further ado:

Enjoy

Credit to Golden Boy at http://uga.rivals.com:

Old School Song Of The Week

Special Ed - "I Got It Made" "I'm your idol, the highest title, numero uno," EVERYONE knows the first verse of this song. This song embodies old school hip hop, a simple beat and sample, as well as a great, flow/delivery with technical, clever, and fun rhymes. One of my favorite songs of the era.

Dropped in 1989, "I Got It Made" was instantly popular and the album, "Youngest In Charge," produced by "Hitman" Howie Tee, rose up the charts, eventually selling 500,000 copies. It featured complex, mature lyrics and quality production, things people didn't expect on a debut album, let alone one by a sixteen year old. It feattured another classic song, "I'm The Magnificent," which also used a minimal beat and sample coupled with great lyrics.

Special Ed's career never really advanced past his first album, even though he would release a few more records and produce songs; but, he made his mark with a hip hop classic. Enjoy:

White Stripes - "Icky Thump" Review

Three words: Buy. This. Album. It's easily the best album of 2007 so far and definitely one that keeps your head nodding from start to end. While the last album, "Get Behind Me Satan," went in a different direction, disapppointing many fans (including myself), this one returned the group to its glory. Hard rock, throwback blues, acoustic guitars, organs, and even a rockabilly-esque song all are found on here.

The album leads off with the first single "Icky Thump," a hit you in the face and leave you for dead type song. Hard driving rhythm from Meg and edgy guitar playing from Jack, whose style is a throwback to Eric Clapton and a view of the future. In my opinion, no current rocker around today has his skills and ability to write songs. I won't get into every song here, but two of my favorites include "Rag And Bone," a great bluesy song with sort of a call-and-answer/spoken word exchange between Meg and Jack, and "Effect and Cause," which is a nice, slow acoustic song that you could find on the Jack White produced Loretta Lynn album.

It's a return to glory and hopefully a window to the future. Buy it and see them live; oh, and while I'm a fan of owning the album (as well as wanting to start a vinyl collection), you may want to consider buying it from iTunes. You get the aforementioned rockabilly song "Baby Brother" and a live version of "Tennesse Border" (Hank Williams song) as bonus tracks that you can't get from anywhere else.

Also, the Stripes will be playing a live show on the web at 11:00 p.m. EST TONIGHT. It can be found here.

The Raconteurs With Pete Townshend

It really is remarkable what you can find on youtube. Here you have one of the most influential rockers ever sitting down with perhaps the best rocker around today. And in the second part, Pete and Jack play "The Seeker" together.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Make It Stop

ESPN/ABC/Whoever, please, for the love of God and sports fans across the country, stop putting Chris Berman as a broadcaster for major events. And of all sports, golf? I almost broke my tv when I heard him covering the US Open.

Old School Song of the Week

Nice & Smooth - "Hip Hop Junkies" Go ahead, try getting either the intro or the hook out of your head now. You remember, the Patridge Family sample (whoever thought to sample that is a genius) and "Nice & Smooth is funky, also hip hop junkies...." Classic!

Unfortunately, the only video version I could find of this song is the remix (original is on the right side of the page under "Current Faves"), but it had to be posted; while still a quality version, it comes nowhere near the classic and simple goodness of the album version. Found on the group second album, "Ain't A Damn Thing Changed," "Hip Hop Junkies" dropped in 1991, during what I like to call the "Golden Age of Hip Hop." One of the better albums of the year, "Junkies" was probably the best song that included other gems like "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" and "Harmonize." And who can forget Greg Nice's style of high pitched, echoed verses and Smooth B's confident, sometimes singing, flow?

June 6, 1944

63 years ago to the day, the Western Allied Front began the largest invasion the world had ever seen, attacking German forces stationed along the Northwest coast of France, in what would be the beginning of the end of World War II. Here is a link to the American radio broadcast from that day and it's very interesting and amazing. Please do yourselves a favor, take time out of your day and listen to it.