Tuesday, December 30, 2008

T-SMITTY'S TOP 200 SONGS OF 2008

Ummm......Self-Explanatory!


1. Ransom - Drake feat. Lil' Wayne
1a. Stuntin' - Lil' Wayne feat. Drake
2. Addiction (Remix) - Ryan Leslie feat. Cassie and Fabolous
3. Single - Ne-Yo
4. Whatever You Like - T.I.
5. Heartless - Kanye West
6. A Milli - Lil' Wayne
7. American Boy - Estelle feat. Kanye West
8. Just Like Me - Jamie Foxx feat. T.I.
9. Mercy - Duffy
10. Creator - Santogold
11. Brooklyn Go Hard - Jay-Z feat. Santogold
12. Green Light - John Legend feat. Andre 3000
13. Overdose on Life - Mickey Factz feat. Drake and Travis McCoy
14. N.I.G.G.E.R. (The Slave and the Master) - Nas
15. If I Were a Boy - Beyonce
16. She Got Her Own - Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo feat. Fabolous
17. Who - Joe Budden
18. Maybach Music - Rick Ross feat. Jay-Z
19. Incredible - Mickey Factz
20. Hero - Nas
21. Disturbia - Rihanna
22. The Sweetest Love - Robin Thicke
23. Swagga Like Us - T.I. and Jay-Z feat. Kanye West and Lil' Wayne
24. Man of the Year - Drake feat. Lil' Wayne
25. Slaughterhouse - Joe Budden feat. Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Nino Bless, and Royce 5'9
26. Lollipop (Remix) - Lil' Wayne feat. Kanye West
27. '88 - The Cool Kids
28. Paranoid - Kanye West
29. Ooh So Sexy - Jon B.
30. History - Jay-Z
31. Who Run This - Jadakiss feat. Jay-Z
32. Sandcastle Disco - Solange
33. Rising Up - The Roots feat. Wale and Chrisette Michelle
34. Jockin' Jay-Z - Jay-Z
35. Chasing Pavements - Adele
36. Pop Champagne - Ron "The Ether Boy" Browz feat. Jim Jones and Juelz Santana
37. Everyone Nose (Remix) - N.E.R.D. feat. Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pusha T
38. Little Bit (Remix) - Lykke Li feat. Drake and Mickey Factz
39. Viva La Vida - Coldplay
40. Put On - Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West
41. Me and My Sneakers - A-Trak feat. Lupe Fiasco
42. Game's Pain - The Game feat. Keyshia Cole
43. DSW - Charles Hamilton
44. Brooklyn Girls - Charles Hamilton
45. Sang No More - Calvin Richardson
46. Closer - Ne-Yo
47. Magic - Robin Thicke
48. Spotlight - Jennifer Hudson
49. Girls Around the World - Lloyd feat. Lil' Wayne
50. Digital Girl - Jamie Foxx feat. Kanye West and The-Dream
51. Luxury Tax - Rick Ross feat. Lil' Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Trick Daddy
52. Brand New (Remix) - Drake feat. Lil' Wayne
53. Oscar - The Cool Kids
54. Live Your Life - T.I. feat. Rihanna
55. It'z Mickey - Mickey Factz
56. Day N' Nite - Kid Cudi
57. Spaz - N.E.R.D.
58. Tug of War - Algebra
59. Lady - Anthony David feat. Keisha Jackson
60. Words - Anthony David feat. India.Arie
61. Can't Believe It (Remix) - T-Pain feat. Justin Timberlake
62. Ego - Beyonce
63. Dey Know Yayo - The Re-Up Gang
64. The Feature Heavy Song - Wale feat. Bun B and Pusha T
65. Customer (Remix) - Raheem DeVaughn feat. R. Kelly
66. Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) - Beyonce
67. By My Side - Jadakiss feat. Ne-Yo
68. Grippin' - Sean Garrett feat. Ludacris
69. Since You Been Gone - Day26
70. Love in This Club Part II - Usher feat. Lil' Wayne and Beyonce
71. Mr. Carter - Lil' Wayne feat. Jay-Z
72. The World Should Revolve Around Me - Little Jackie
73. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
74. Hi Hater (Remix) - Maino feat. T.I., Jadakiss, Fabolous, Plies, and Swizz Beatz
75. Never Would Have Made It - Marvin Sapp
76. Forever - Chris Brown
77. Fuck the Industry - Solange feat. Wale
78. Truth or Dare - Mickey Factz
79. Every Chance I Get- T.I.
80. My President - Young Jeezy feat. Nas
81. Yeah You - N.E.R.D.
82. Come Over - Estelle
83. You're the Only One - Eric Benet
84. Trading Places - Usher
85. Wait a Minute (Just a Touch) - Estelle feat. Will.I.Am
86. 6 of 1 Thing - Craig David
87. Go Girl - Ciara feat. T-Pain
88. Cops Up - Lyfe Jennings
89. Woman - Raheem DeVaughn
90. Drivin' Down the Block (Remix) - Kidz in the Hall feat. Pusha T, Bun B, and The Cool Kids
91. Dr. Love - Donnie Klang
92. Take You There - Donnie Klang feat. Diddy
93. Radio - Musiq Soulchild
94. Tonight - Lykke Li
95. I Can't Hear the Music - Brutha
96. Harder to Breathe (Remix) - Maroon 5 feat. The Cool Kids
97. See You in My Nightmares - Kanye West feat. Lil' Wayne
98. I Do It For Hip-Hop - Ludacris feat. Jay-Z and Nas
99. Diva - Beyonce
100. I'm That Chick - Mariah Carey
101. Are We In This Together - Day26
102. When It Hurts - Avant
103. Be a Nigger Too - Nas
104. The Artistic Integrity - Wale
105. I'm So High- Grind Mode
106. Rockin' & Rollin' (Remix) - Mickey Factz feat. The Cool Kids
107. So What -Pink
108. The Krazy - Wale
109. Another Way to Die - Jack White and Alicia Keys
110. The Future - Joe Budden and The Game
111. Love Hangover - Kidz in the Hall feat. Estelle
112. You're Everything - Bun B feat. Rick Ross, David Banner, 8 Ball, and MJG
113. T.O.N.Y. - Solange
114. Punch Drunk Love - Common feat. Kanye West
115. What Them Girls Like - Ludacris feat. Sean Garrett and Chris Brown
116. Cookie Jar - Gym Class Heroes feat. The-Dream
117. Dangerous - Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
118. Cuddle Bums - 88-Keys and Tanya Morgan
119. Chopped N' Skrewed - T-Pain feat. Ludacris
120. My House - Cassie
121. Damaged (Remix) - Danity Kane feat. Fabolous
122. Bust It Baby 2 - Plies feat. Ne-Yo
123. Busy - Rocko
124. Touchdown - The Game feat. Raheem DeVaughn
125. Ain't I - Yung L.A. feat. Young Dro and T.I.
126. Tie My Hands - Robin Thicke and Lil' Wayne
127. Touch My Body - Mariah Carey
128. Room Service - Jayms Madison
129. Industry Diary - Idle Warship
130. I Need U Bad - Jazmine Sullivan
131. Sexy Can I? - Ray J. feat. Yung Berg
132. Heaven Sent - Keyshia Cole
133. Baby - LL Cool J feat. The-Dream
134. Pro Nails (Remix) - Kid Sister feat. Kanye West
135. Hostile Gospel (Remix) - Talib Kweli feat. Joell Ortiz and Blu
136. So Fly - Slim feat. Young Joc
137. Good Morning - John Legend
138. It Ain't Supposed To Be This Way - Chante Moore
139. Surveillance (Remix) - Wynter Gordon feat. Maino
140. Screamin' - Idle Warship feat. MC Chris
141. Mo Better - Raheem DeVaughn
142. Right Here (Departed) - Brandy
143. I Found My Smile Again - D'Angelo
144. Gettin' It - The Cool Kids feat. Lil' Wayne
145. Nothing Left to Say - Mint Condition
146. Sex 4 Suga - Common
147. Little of Your Time (Bloodshy and Avant Remix) - Maroon 5
148. Numba 1 - Kardinal Offishall
149. 2 In the Morning - Cassie
150. Just to be Different - Joe Budden
151. What Happened - Algebra
152. Do What U Do - Drake feat. Malice
153. Gold and a Pager - The Cool Kids
154. Love Revolution - Lenny Kravitz
155. My Heart - Jennifer Hudson
156. If It Wasn't For You - Day26
157. The Lounge - Asher Roth
158. T-Shirt - Shontelle
159. Hot Thing (Remix) - Talib Kweli feat. Ne-Yo and Jean Grae
160. The One That Got Away - Johnta Austin
161. Substitue Lova - Shanell
162. Oh Girl (Remix) - Rapahel Saddiq feat. Jay-Z
163. Who's Gonna Save My Soul - Gnarls Barkley
164. What's Your Name - Usher feat. Will.I.Am
165. The Way It Was - J. Holiday
166. Camera Phone - The Game feat. Ne-Yo
167. More Than Friends - Estelle
168. Swang On 'Em - Bun B feat. Lupe Fiasco
169. Anti-Matter - N.E.R.D.
170. 20K Money Makin' Brothers on the Corner - The Re-Up Gang
171. Street Lights - Kanye West
172. Kinda Girl For Me - Craig David
173. For The Record - Mariah Carey
174. Porn Star - T.I.
175. Go To Hell - Joe Budden
176. The Hunger - Eric Benet
177. Stuck on Stupid - Sterling Simms
178. Bust Your Windows - Jazmine Sullivan
179. La La - Lil' Wayne feat. Busta Rhymes and Brisco
180. Nobody - Ne-Yo
181. Playa Cardz Right - Keyshia Cole feat. 2Pac
182. Sunday Morning (Questlove Remix) - Maroon 5
183. Make Friends With Love - Calvin Richardson
184. Crazy World - Young Jeezy
185. Kissin' Ears - Gym Class Heroes feat. The-Dream
186. Emotional - Casely
187. Onslaught - Slaughterhouse
188. It's Automatic - Mickey Factz feat. Curtis Santiago
189. Guys Like When Girls Kiss - Little Jackie
190. I Decided Part 1 - Solange
191. I Did You Wrong - Pleasure P
192. Drank In My Cup - Electrik Red
193. Dreamworld - Robin Thicke
194. One Time for Love - Johnta Austin
195. Wanted - Tank
196. Wishbones, Horseshoes, and Basketball - Charles Hamilton
197. Must Hate Money - Drake
198. Appetite - Usher
199. Cruise Control - Mariah Carey feat. Damian Marley
200. No Matter What - T.I.

TOP 30 ALBUMS OF 2008

Everybody loves lists. We here at The Chop Up are no different. 2008 was an unusual year for music. I think it's safe to say that there weren't too many classic albums being released on the hip-hop or the R&B tip. But, if you searched around the Internet or checked out a few minor label releases you were probably able to find a diamond in the rough! With that said here are our top 30 albums of 2008!!!

DISCLAIMER: We did not listen to every album released in 2008. So these are the best of what we heard. But, since this is The Chop Up and we run this shit, these are the only albums that matter. Proceed!!



1. T.I. - Paper Trail

2. Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreak

3. Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman

4. Drake - Comeback Season

5. Nas - Untitled

6. Mickey Factz - The Leak: Vol. 1

7. N.E.R.D. - Seeing Sounds

8. Lil' Wayne - The Carter III

9. Mickey Factz - In Search of N.E.R.D.

10. Charles Hamilton - Outside Looking

11. Day26 - Day26

12. Wale - A Mixtape About Nothing

13. Jamie Foxx - Intuition

14. Charles Hamilton - The L Word

15. Rick Ross- Trilla

16. Robin Thicke - Something Else

17. Common - Universal Mind Control

18. Young Jeezy - The Recession

19. The Clipse - We Got It For Cheap Vol. 3

20. Kid Cudi - A Kid Named Cudi

21. Raheem DeVaughn - Love Behind the Melody

22. The Clipse - Road to Till the Casket Drops

23. Usher - Here I Stand

24. Mickey Factz - Flashback Vol. 1: Back to the Future

25. John Legend - Evolver

26. Lloyd - Lessons in Love

27. Joe Budden - Halfway House

28. Nas and DJ Green Lantern - The Nigger Tape

29. Maroon 5 - Call and Response: The Remix Album

30. The Roots - Rising Down

Honorable Mention
Mariah Carey - E=MC2
Algebra - Purpose
Ludacris - Theater of the Mind
Jazmine Sullivan - Fearless
Kidz in the Hall - The In Crowd

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Second Son Fall/Winter 2008
















































































Second Son is a clothing brand out of England, formally known as Loki Clothing. Started in 2005, the brand's Fall/Winter collection shows some pretty solid designs of tees, sweatshirts, and jeans.

Source

Public School Autumn/Winter 08






































































Public School was created by designers Maxwell Osborne and Dao-Yi Chow (both formerly of Sean John). You can see the brands message of rebellion in the gritty designs, but it's detail is what impresses most. I look forward to seeing more from the brand.

Source

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Stpl Fall 2008 Collection







































































Staple Clothing started out in 1997 by Jeff Ng aka Jeff Staple. He would sneak into the silkscreen lab at Parsons School of Design in New York and make t-shirts. Today, the brand has expanded beyond t-shirts, to include everything from Jackets, button down shirts, and more. You can also expect a great attention to detail and a message. The Fall 2008 collection it titled "The Science of Life" taking from the theme of Anatomy and Biology.

Source

Crooks & Catles Preview

Here is a little preview of what's to come in 2009 from the Crooks & Castles clothing brand. Relaunched in 2004, the brand continues to put out dope stuff.

Source

CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW - REASONABLE DOUBT


The Summer of 1996. Rap music was reaching heights that no one could have foreseen. Nas and Biggie were already establishing themselves as future Hip-Hop icons on the East Coast with the albums they released in 1994. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube were doing the same on the West. I loved Hip-Hop.........or so I thought. The release of Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt in '96 gave me a new understanding of what I wanted music to sound like. It was fresh, provocative, and told the many stories of a hustler. I have never lived that life, but when listening to Jay's debut album, I felt like I was partaking in the lifestyle right along with him. That was the magic behind this album. The immediate connection felt by the listener. It also marked the beginning of one of the, if not THE, best career in rap history. The album went on to be certified Platinum, but that distinction did not come until 2002. Reasonable Doubt helped pave the way for other emcees to tell their hustling stories on wax. This was an album so great that it spawned a 10-year anniversary concert which had a 50-piece orchestra and was attended by numerous celebrities and fans. Here's a track-by-track look at a masterpiece:


1. Can't Knock the Hustle - From the thumping heartbeat, to the Pain in Da Ass intro, this song sets the stage for the entire album. Borrowing from the movie Scarface, Pain draws the connection to the persona's of Jay-Z and Tony Montana. A young Mary J. Blige sings the hook flawlessly and producer Knobody delivers a silky-smooth track that breezes through the ears. The song title has been a description for Jay's career even to this day.


2. Politics as Usual - This may be the best song on the album. 12 years after the release of the album, Politics still strikes a chord. Ski came through with an amazing beat that suits Jay's style perfectly. The line "I'm takin' wages down in Vegas just in case Tyson have a major night off, that's clean money, the tax write-off" shows that Jay is not your average hustler. Clean money = Street money everyday of the week! As simple as the hook is, it still adds a little something to this cut.


3. Brooklyn's Finest - WHOA! When this album first came out, this was the main song cats were talking about. And for good reason. You would think a song called Brooklyn's Finest would be by Big Daddy Kane and Guru. But, newcomers Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls took that title early. This was a back-and-forth lyrical battle for supremacy of the East. Biggie was already an established star and Jay had to show he was on the same level. With lines such as "Made a fortune off Peru, extradite, china white heron, Nigga please, like short sleeves I bear arms" and "Fuck a tussle, nickel-plated, sprinkle coke on the floor, make it drug related, Most hated" they killed it.


4. Dead Presidents II - Not sure how many people realize there was Dead Presidents I at the time, this song takes the same beat as the original. This was the lead-off single for the album and it is one of Jay's strongest lyrically. I guess 'ironic' is the right word to describe the fact that Jay used a line from Nas' "The World is Yours" to craft the hook for this song. This, in turn, led to the back-and-forth of hot lines, hot songs, counting paper, sampling voices, etc. But, who knew that it would come full-circle and Jay and Nas would perform this song together on stage. That alone may make Dead Presidents one of the most important songs in Hip-Hop.


5. Feelin' It - The fourth single from Reasonable Doubt originally wasn't even made for Jay. Apparently, this song was for Camp Lo and judging by the sound of Uptown Saturday Night, it shows. This is a smooth song-great for the late-night highway drive. Obviously, Jay is a better rapper than either member of Camp Lo so he does it justice lyrically and it blends with the album. But, it would have been interesting to hear it from a different perspective.


6. D'Evils - Jay has sampled other artists' lines and songs throughout his career. Sometimes it works (Dead Presidents) and sometimes it doesn't ('03 Bonnie and Clyde). This one works very well. Borrowing from Snoop's "Murder Was the Case", Jay and DJ Premier paint a vivid picture of all the things that can go wrong when living a hustler's life. The second verse tells the story of two friends who lose their way because of money. This is one of the many lines in Jay's catalogue that foreshadows a future event in his life. It's also worth noting that Lupe Fiasco had an issue with Jay praying to Gotti and not God, but this song is so ill I can look past it if Lupe can.


7. 22 Two's - Let's start off by giving props to A Tribe Called Quest. They lay the foundation for a witty, clever, and real cut off the album. Jay takes his flow to the small club circuit and drops a few lines for the common folk. I actually counted and there are 22 2's. The song is simple enough in its concept, but the execution makes it damn near brilliant. With the addition of 44 4's a few years ago, I guess we can only wait for 66 6's to complete the trilogy!


8. Can I Live - Irv Gotti? DJ Irv? The Murder Inc. Irv? That guy made the best beat on the entire album. Sounds crazy, but there is no denying this banger. It's cinematic in its tone and in the lyrics. It is the ultimate guide to 'living it up.' With lines like "I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it, Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it" it shows that these guys are playing on a different level than most of us. Irv didn't do much to the Isaac Hayes classic "Look of Love", but the minor tweaks made this a song for the ages.


9. Ain't No Nigga - I don't know if Foxy was 16 or 17 when this came out, but either way she was talking about things she had no business knowing about. The biggest charting single on Reasonable Doubt was probably its most catchy song as well. I don't think too many women agree with the premise of a man doing whatever he wants as long as the gifts keep flowing, but they sure did make it sound fun! Props to Jaz-O for producing Jay's first hit record. SMH.


10. Friend or Foe - "State ya biz!!!" This shit is hilarious. I still do not understand why Jay and Premo don't make more songs together because on his first two albums he showed the results are crazy! This is more like an interlude than a song, but still memorable nonetheless.


11. Coming of Age - I think it is safe to say that Bleek used to be a good rapper. He didn't write his verse on this, but he spit it as good as any weed carrier can. Coming of Age showed the relationship between an established hustler and a shorty on the block that he saw something in. I mean, is there any better advice than "You let them other niggas get the name, skip the fame. Ten thou' or a hundred G's keep your shit the same."


12. Cashmere Thoughts - I never really appreciated this song until I got older. I liked it. But, didn't appreciate it. It took me a few years to break down "The proper etiquette, when I drop the subject verb, then the predicate, with this rich nigga rhetoric." Wow! Clark Kent crafted one of the most slept on songs I've ever heard. I actually went back and listened to the sampled "Save Their Souls" by Bohannon and it just makes this song so much more than it was when I first heard it. SLEEPER!


13. Bring It On - Premo's third go around on Reasonable Doubt is a standout track. Roc-a-Fella associates Jaz and Sauce Money join Jay in making a very nice posse cut. They all come with really good lyrics on this song and the beat is so smooth. It feels really weird hearing Joey Crack in the background, but it brings a special New York feel to the song.


14. Regrets - Without question, this self-reflective song is the most personal on the album. This was the first of many Jay songs that delve into his personal life. In the vein of "You Must Love Me", "Soon You'll Understand", and "Lucky Me" this song takes a break from the Cristal sippin', the money spending, and the fast life. It's a perfect song to conclude the album as it wraps up all the things that we heard in previous songs. All the things you do come back around. You will make mistakes. You have to live with them. Nuff said.


Sunday, August 31, 2008

Supreme Fall/Winter 08'...

Supreme has been doing their thing for a while now. Here are some pieces from their new fall/winter collection.





Sunday, August 24, 2008

THIS MAN IS THE NEXT PRESIDENT!!!

Barack Obama is going to be the next President. Please do yourself a favor and read up on the man.........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_obama