Tag Archives: m-hiphop

MC Yogi – Be The Change

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A modern ode to Gandhi, sang MC-style, which is probably the best style to craft a song about an activist’s life. The melody is instrumentally-rich and features some spot-on samples of Hindu chanting.

The lyrics do an amazing job of condensing the wisdom of Gandhi’s life in just a few minutes worth of song.

“Be the change that you wanna see
in the world, just like Gandhi
Gandhi taught
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” and it takes more strength and faith
to be kind
you see, Gandhi-ji was a very great leader
but before all that
he was shy & meager
as a young child he was just like you and me
before he became
Mahatma Gandhi
the word “Mahatma” it means great soul
and its inside of us just
waiting to unfold
if you follow your heart and act real bold
next time it’ll be your
story that’s told!”

You can listen to the melody for free, in good quality, on BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. You can also purchase the song (or album) from this same location.

https://whiteswanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/elephant-power^

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_gQxVOmod0^

For Spotify users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/7jvu3nMsCVyocnhkOYgNA8^

For Deezer users (high quality):

https://www.deezer.com/track/104081560^

And here’s the Discogs entry for whoever wants to buy this album:

https://www.discogs.com/MC-Yogi-Elephant-Power/release/1754120^

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Insane Clown Posse – Hellalujah

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Say hello to the lovely crazy clowns. As is the case with hip hop, the awesomeness of this song is in the lyrics and boy, do these guys have a bone to pick with organized religion (more precisely, TV preachers). As usual with Insane Clown Posse, the text is rather violent, but deliciously (and well-deservedly) so.

Also as usual with this group, the musical arrangement is excellent. The song is almost like a short movie. The music is often interrupted by staged segments from a made-up TV show but everything is produced so well that it integrates seamlessly into a “sad but true” story.

“Who am I? I’m not the Devil
I can take you to my level
Above the rocks, above the earth
Tell me what your soul is worth
How much money do you make?
How much will you let me take?
I will give you tranquilty
Just send your wealth and checks to me
Life is going to expire
And your soul will burn in fire
You will perish in the thunder
Unless you call my hotline number
God has asked you to make me rich
Me and my fat-whack gaudy bitch
On your T.V.’s late at night
Send those checks and I’ll guide you to the light

God had called me and then stopped by
And he told me you’re gonna die
Unless you buy my holy water
Check, cash, or a money order
This is true, don’t question me
I’ll even send you shit for free
It’s only ten bucks for the call
And I’ll send a prayer, no charge at all
Put your lips up to the screen
Close your eyelids and intervene
Your lips to mine, now send the cash
And while you’re there, you can kiss my ass
Take your paycheck and send me half
And I’ll send you God’s autograph
I’ll get Allah’s and Buddha’s too
Even Zeus, I don’t give a fuck who
Just send me that money

Your total’s twenty-two eleven
For your set of keys to heaven
Make the checks out in my name
Me or God, it’s all the same
Bring your crippled ass to me
Pay my usher the holy fee
I’ll bless your legs and bless your chair
Then wheel your bitch-ass outta here
Now a special ceremony
This part don’t cost any money
Drip a drop of blessed water
Now I fertilize your daughter
Even though I fucked a hooker
Took your baby girl and shook her
You still buy everything I sell
And I’m living well
See you in Hell!”

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6R5lpQjUdw^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/5Yy2q9vG7T1D0GN0BZGzdR^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/3040093^

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Insane Clown Posse – Halls Of Illusions

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This rabid, mad, wicked rock/hip-hop song is half horror-comedy movie and half awesome musical performance. Since this style is all about the lyrics, I’ll start by saying that this is one little sadistic gem. Contrasting ideal dream worlds with terrible realities, the merciless writing goes through a violent story, infesting it with dark humor coming from the blackest pits of hell.

It’s all delivered by a solid melody, diverse and very well-orchestrated (I’d say it rises far above the average hip-hop instrumentals). Guitars, percussion, vocal distortions, weird sounds of all sorts, samples – everything is brought together with excellent production values.

The song comes from what I consider to be Insane Clown Posse’s best album. I’d be surprised if ICP’s music won’t summon at least a smile from the inner insane clown waiting deep inside… some of us?

“Ticket please, thanks, walk through the door
Into the Halls Of Illusions, visit yours
And see what coulda and shoulda and woulda been real
But you had to fuck up tha whole deal

Lets take a walk down the hallway
It’s a long way it, it takes all day!

And when you get to tha end, you’ll find a chair
With straps and chains, we slap you in there
Lock you down tight so you can’t move a thread
And pull your eyelids up over your head
Cuz you’re about to witness an illusionary dream
It’s just too bad it ain’t what it seems

[…]

Great Milenko, wave your wand
Don’t look now, your life is gone
This is all because of you
What you got yourself into

[…]

And that reminds me man, hey ya gotta call:
Watch your step to Hell…it’s a long fall!”

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USHsNHb3o0s^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/7bCJbL4Sjq3v9iiF56vBiD^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/3040087^

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The Crystal Method – Wide Open

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It’s one of The Crystal Method’s most lyrically-inspired songs. It’s also one of the more mellow ones – this tune is not as danceable as some of the band’s other creations. Instead, they wisely opted for crafting an intricate arrangement of atmosphere-enhancing sound textures. These are the perfect accompaniment for Hanifah Walidah’s voice, as it punctuates the flowy instrumentals with lyrical surgical strikes.

This is one of those times when a lot can be communicated through not so many words. Two of the song’s verses in particular have impressed me: Open like a child’s mind? / But then you start talkin’. I interpreted this as “a child’s mind is open until it starts talking”. Food for thought: just how much is language restricting the mind’s full and total openness? Isn’t language to the mind what the lines on millimeter paper are to a virgin canvas?

“Open like what?
Open like a child’s mind?
But then you start talkin’

[…]

Totally wide open
know how to shut it down”

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yInOn0Kn3Hk^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/1Cni970keVzhK5KiTzT0Yq^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/6152059^

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Bomfunk MC’s – Freestyler

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The Freestyler was jamming from speakers around the world just before the turn of the millennium. This groovy masterpiece comes from the land of the Finns. It climbed sky-high in the charts back in the day and for good reason. The song is a solid body-mover featuring excellent production values and infectious hooks. It’s one of those “oldies but goldies”.

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymNFyxvIdaM^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/47xLbuUdmD03ATrke934S1^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/5363024^

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Eminem – Lose Yourself

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Greek mythology gave us the concept of a muse^. Many artists refer to their muses. I find that often, art itself becomes the muse. This is where this song comes in. It’s one of the best hip hop songs of all time thanks to an excellent combination of great music, fiery singing and awesome writing all coming together to tell a touching story. Actually, in my book, this is one of the best songs of all time, period.

I think it’s hard not to be stimulated and pumped up by it. Sure, some people will simply block the message due to a certain dislike for the genre or the artist. But otherwise, this melody can be an energy source and consistent motivator whenever you may need it.

“Look
If you had
One shot
Or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted
In one moment
Would you capture it
Or just let it slip?

[…]

You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime you better

[…]

Success is my only motherfuckin’ option, failure’s not
Mom, I love you, but this trail has got to go, I cannot grow old in Salem’s lot
So here I go is my shot
Feet fail me not ‘cause maybe the only opportunity that I got

[…]

You can do anything you set your mind to man” [I chose to interpret man as human, not as male.]

YouTube (decent quality):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j1Udjwh8ro^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/7w9bgPAmPTtrkt2v16QWvQ^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/1109731^

And of course, it’s not a coincidence that I post this today. There are many changes in my life this early 2017.

[ax_meta lnimgurl=’http://mentatul.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/01793-EminemCurtainCall-Thumb.jpg’ lnimgw=’250′ lnimgh=’250′ title=’Eminem – Lose Yourself’ desc=’Excellent combination of great music, fiery singing and awesome writing all coming together to tell a touching story.’]

Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Letter from God to Man

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This is one of the most powerful songs I’ve ever heard. The instrumental and vocal buildup takes place wonderfully, but what I really meant with the word “powerful” lies in the lyrics of this song. I could say much more about it, but I’ll let these guys do the talking and you to do the thinking.

“So I’m writing to apologize for all the horrors committed in my name,
Although that was never what I intended, I feel I should take my share of the blame.
All the good I tried to do was corrupted when all the religion got into full swing,
What I thought were quite clear messages were taken to unusual extremes.
My teachings taken out of context to meet the agendas of others,
Interpretations taken to many different ways and hidden meanings discovered
[…]
It was You that built the towers
It was You that invented bombs, and the fear that comes with them
And it was You that invented money, and the corrupt economic systems
You invented terms like just-war and terms like friendly fire
And it was You that didn’t know when to stop digging deeper, when to stop building higher
It was You that exhausted the resources I carefully laid out on this earth,
And it was You that even saw these problems coming but accredited them little worth
It was You that used my teachings for your own personal gain
And it was You that committed such tragedies, even though they were in my name

So I apologize for any mistakes I made, and when my words misconstrued
But this apology’s to Mother Nature, ‘cause I created YOU”

You can purchase the song (or album) from BandCamp, which is one of the best websites when it comes to supporting artists. And in case you’re wondering, yes, I did purchase Dan Le Sac’s album :).

https://danlesacvsscroobiuspip.bandcamp.com/album/angles^

YouTube (SEE THE VIDEOS):

Official video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4467CI4y0M^

An EXCELLENT fan-made video that I consider to be even better than the official video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcGB7dJY0Vg^

For Spotify Users (high quality):

https://open.spotify.com/track/3Mpx1Uu6mcUVamPASKVehN^

For Deezer Users (high quality):

http://www.deezer.com/track/3781480^

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