kenzo digital - city of god's son (2009)

just stumbled across this. i'm listening to it now, and it is unbelievable. one of the most brilliant and seamless projects i've heard in quite some time. i'll let those behind the project, kenzo digital (with the help of many) explain it:

“City of Gods Son is an experimental hip-hop opera starring Nas, Jay Z, Ghostface, Biggie Smalls, Raekwon, Samuel Jackson, Delroy Lindo, and Laurence Fishburne. It is a crime drama/coming of age tale of three fictitious characters growing up in a crime ridden mythical city in a jungle. This project explores the icon of the gangster in modern media, and weaves musical history and gangster film history into an operatic music based story of brotherhood and survival. An homage to 90s New York hip-hop, City of Gods Son is the redefinition of the remix. Featuring legendary soul singer Joe Bataan. A sound film/hip hop opera by Kenzo Digital.”

so head over to the official website and download the entire opera and read all the information these guys have put together. i can't wait to sit down with this.

see the trailer:



-city of grizzly's son

p.s. "it is recommended that you listen to this at night, uninterrupted and on headphones."

jay-z - history (2008)

epic song is epic. and produced by kanye west. holler.


download history.

- panda

video: jay-z - live at the palladium (10-15-08)

here's a recap of hova's show last night in hollywood for the re-opening of the palladium. he's in screwston doing the grand opening of the house of blues, and i'm hating every minute of my life knowing i can't go. unfortunately, a $225 dollar ticket is not the most friendly expense for my bank account at this moment, and there wasn't a chance in the world for press to happen.

for anyone who somehow manages to get to the jigga set tonight, i hate you. i hope you have a horrible time when he plays a two hour plus set with a 12-piece backing band and dj am.

click this to catch him and tip doing their thing on "swagga like us."

and head over to miss info to catch a bunch of clips from the show.

-g to the izzo

p.s. i've spent the last 30 minutes at work watching these.

t.i. - swagger like us (feat. kanye west, jay-z, and lil wayne) (2008)

take one M.I.A. sample and add four of the hottest rappers (if not THE four hottest) in the game, and there's no way you won't get one of the rawest tracks of the year.


download swagger like us.

- swagger like panda

jay-z - jockin' jay-z (2008)

why you jockin' jay-z?

blueprint 3.

download:

jay-z - jockin' jay-z (produced by kanye west)

-jockin' grizzly

video: glastonbury festival live sets: jay-z/lupe fiasco(2008)

i just spent the last hour watching the shit out of these sets. lupe plays an incredible set and made sure to drop lines about why hip-hop is still alive. young h-o-v sets the venue on fire. he freestyles over a millie, has a wonderwall cover, and runs through a shit load of his old hits. highly recommended.

lupe fiasco - full set live at glastonbury (video)

jay-z - full set live at glastonbury (video)

-grizzly

p.s. i just watched the HOV set for the second time and it is just as revolutionary.

dvd recap: jay-z - fade to black (2004)

this isn't an official review, rather just something that i decided to blog about. as a huge HOVA fan, i can't believe i hadn't purchased or watched this before yesterday. this entire DVD is the only proof you need to backup claim's of hov's greatness and his contribution to hip-hop. it's filled with cameos of some of hip-hop's finest who worship his work, both on and off stage.

throughout the documentary of his "final show," you get these snippets of him working in the studio, intertwined with his live set at MSG and the energy he has is unparalleled by most. being able to watch 100% of madison square garden lose their shit over one guy has to be one of the dopest things a fan of hip-hop could want to be a part of. it's no wonder the man's american gangster tour sold out in minutes.

if hov actually retired, this would've been the best way to go out.

i recommend buying a used copy off of amazon or something, which is what i did. best 6 bucks i've spent in a while.

-grizzly

jay-z - ain't i (2008)

i guess you could say i'm one of the few who has pretty much loved everything HOV has done. yes, including kingdom come. and no, probably not vol. III. regardless, he has a swagger like no other. this is apparently his new single off of the blueprint: 3 (WHAT THE FUCK) and is produced by none other than timbo himself.

download:

jay-z - ain't i

-grizzly

jay-z - hello brooklyn 2.0 (remix) (2008)

jazzy remix of one of the best tracks on american gangster. not the biggest weezy fan, but he fits this song well. WHATEVER.

download:

jay-z - hello brooklyn 2.0 (remix)

-grizzly

jay-z - vh1 storytellers (2007)

so like any other sunday, i was relaxing at home, watching a shit load of television. i was going through the guide and noticed an episode of vh1 storytellers on the MHD channel, and it was none other than hov.

this was recently taped (research says october 24th), only a few weeks before the release of his new album, american gangster. storytellers is a show where the artist lets you inside of the creative process behind some of their songs, and this particular episode was dope because hova gives you an introspective look into his past as a drug dealer and a hustler and the relation of the movie/album to his own life.

he played 8 songs, backed by a band of around 10 people, aptly called "the roc boys." this was one of the best hours of television i've seen in a while.

vh1 has kindly uploaded the entire set to their site, so check that out here.

my only complaint is the lack of "success," "no hook," and "ignorant shit," which are three of my favorite tracks off of the album. beggars can't be choosers though.

-grizzly

jay z - reasonable doubt (1996)

jay z is literally the definition of the struggle, the hustle, and the status. hear the album that started the movement.

download reasonable doubt:


- jerome