The Throne Is Safe: Jay-Z & Kanye West in San Jose

Photo cred: www.mercurynews.com

When I decide I want to see a movie, I avoid all trailers, reviews and interviews with the stars so that I enter the movie as ignorant as possible. Same goes for concerts – I haven't looked at a YouTube concert footage or setlist for the Watch the Throne Tour since I bought my tickets for the December 14 San Jose stop a few months ago.

So imagine my surprise when the spotlight comes on and Kanye West is wearing a leather kilt.

I won't go as far as to say he pulled the look off, but Yeezy and Jay-Z's phenomenal aptitude for rapping overshadowed any odd fashion choices. (Jay was in his standard all-black-everything streetwear, if you're curious.) It also overshadowed the moving stages, sporadic fireballs and Tron-esque laser lighting.

Have you performed "Gold Digger" on Def Jam Rap Star? Or tested your "Big Pimpin'" flow at a karaoke bar? If so, you know that rapping like these two guys is not easy for even a short amount of time. And yet these guys came out and performed for over two hours with no backup. They didn't even lend a hand to each other, and both pulled off the entire performance without so much as a wheeze or gasp.

The only negative of the performance was the lack of collaborators. Songs like "All of the Lights" and "No Church in the Wild" had recorded versions of Rhianna and Frank Ocean, respectively, on the hook. You obviously can't bring Rhianna on the road just to sing a few hooks (and you know Beyonce is not having that), but bringing somebody along to handle these moments would have been nice.

Best moment: Jay-Z performing "Public Service Announcement" and "U Don't Know" – two Just Blaze-produced album cuts – back to back.

Playlist:
H.A.M
Who Gon Stop Me
Otis
Welcome to the Jungle
Gotta Have It
Where I'm From
Nigga What, Nigga Who
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
Jesus Walks
All Falls Down
Diamonds from Sierra Leone
Public Service Announcement
U Don't Know
Run This Town
Monster
Power
Made in America
New Day
Hard Knock Life
Izzo
Empire State of Mind
Runaway
Heartless
Stronger
On to the Next One
Brush Your Shoulders
I Just Wanna Love U
That's My Bitch
Good Life
Touch the Sky
All of the Lights
Big Pimpin'
Gold Digger
99 Problems
No Church in the Wild
Niggas in Paris x3

This post was written by:
Trey

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treyslist: 10 Hip Hop Songs To Run To

It turns out you can keep runnin' away - you just need the right playlist.

Here's 10 hip hop songs that keep my feet moving when I'm circling Lake Merritt. The songs have a lot in common - 9 out of 10 are rated 5 stars on my iTunes library (sorry Fab), they're all upbeat, and most make me want to punch someone in the face.

So stop being a fat-ass: Burn these to CD, insert in your discman and go.

1. 2Pac "Holler If Ya Hear Me" (1993) - 2Pac's producer, weed carrier and buddy-who-got-cameos-in-2Pac's-movies Stretch puts down a beat that sounds like it's stolen from the Bomb Squad's studio - probably because it samples liberally from "Rebel Without a Pause." At any rate, this song kicked 'Pac's album off with a bang, and it'll do the same for your run.

2. Eric B. & Rakim "Know the Ledge/Juice" (1992) - The title changes depending on whether you got the song from the duo's album or the Juice soundtrack, but the effect on your run stays the same. The bass line sets the tone while lyrics about the fast life push your pace.

3. Big Daddy Kane "Wrath of Kane" (1988) - Here's the opening couplet of the second verse: "The man at hand to rule and school and teach and reach the blind to find a way from A to Z / And be the most to boast the loudest crowd Kane'll reign your domain (Yeah Kane!)" Fast rappers = fast runs.

4. Outkast "B.O.B." (2000) - Speaking of fast rappers. "B.O.B." is probably my favorite running song. There are so many layers to this beat, and it keeps building and building until it literally explodes (hmm, could be a good sex song, too) into a chant about head-bobbing, rag tops and something about Bible music. How can you not be pumped up?

5. N.W.A. "100 Miles and Runnin'" (1990) - Dr. Dre had the whole West Coast fast rapping. Then he started smoking weed and made The Chronic. Gangsta rap would never be the same. Anyway, the BPMs and running theme make this an obvious choice. And Eazy-E's "One more mile to go / Through the dark streets" is good encouragement.

6. M.O.P. "Ante Up" (2000) - Any number of M.O.P. songs would work, but this is Lil' Fame and Billy Danze at their criminal best. Somebody find a complete list of violent felonies - if it's on the list, the Mash Out Posse probably commits it on this song.

7. Ice Cube "Wicked" (1992) - Produced by Torcha Chamba (I don't know who he is either), "Wicked" combines the "Funky Worm" gangsta squeal with a couple Public Enemy samples to make what is quite possibly the hardest beat of all time. And there's only one rapper who belongs on a beat like that.

8. Fabolous "Breathe" (2005) - Fab doesn't have the most inspirational voice, but, despite his presence, this song has a very Rocky feel to it. And the title is a helpful reminder as you push towards the end of your run.

9. Public Enemy "Welcome to the Terrordome" (1989) - This group's fingerprints are all over this mix, so they might as well get a song of their own. P.E. perfected frantic-paced rap, and Chuck D's voice commands action - he'd make a great track coach.

10. Saigon "Come On Baby (Remix)" ft. Jay-Z and Swizz Beats (2007) - Everything about this song begs you to keep pushing - especially the choirs of "Yeahhhhh," the numerous breakdowns and beat drop-outs, and the sample of a desperate man pleading, "Come on baby come on baby come on baby don't you."

10 Hip Hop Songs To Run To.zip (left-click)



This post was written by:
Trey

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Goin Local- Swizz Beatz

Bronx native, Kasseem Dean aka Swizz Beatz has been pushing himself forward as a renaissance man beyond the arts with the likes of  Mos Def, Jay-Z and Russell Simmons-- not only for his genius production skills, being adept in the fine arts but most notably for his philanthropic role in the collaboration of Hope For Haiti Now.

Most heads outside of the realm of Hip-Hop rarely knew of the talented "One Man Band" beyond the sound that owns the airwaves- Jay-Z's On To the Next One...



In this behind the scenes footage with MTV, Swizz humbly (a term rarely used in Hip-Hop) passes off shine towards Q-Tip and Pharrel on the now famous Justice "Dance" sample that he transformed to propel the chart-killin track.



Swizz masterminded the incredibly moving lyrics and sounds to support the anthem- "Haiti Mon Amour," that is helping to spread awareness efforts in rebuilding Haiti-- performed by Rhianna, The Edge, Bono and Jay-Z.




And man you can't hate on em just cause he gets served breakfast by Alicia (just with a chain on--ha!!  check the Drake joint for reference).

This post was written by:
big O

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The Empire Strikes Back

Since catching Jay-Z & Alicia Keys deliver the new jack anthem, "Empire State of Mind" during the World Series last week, the track has been on continuous repeat in my mind.

The Hype Williams video feels like a straight classic with its scaled-back tour of the city, B&W photos blending with the lyrics and beats- especially love the Spike Lee shot.



Alicia, we love you!

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