A Side B Side Podcast Episode 301 - Our First Dance w/ Katriece Davis

Happy New Year! I pray your holiday season was safe dodging Omarion, I mean Omicron. In the new we're going to do things a little differently as far as the format of the show so when you press play don't think your in the wrong place because you didn't hear my voice right away. In this episode, Ramsey is joined by his soon to be wife, Katriece whom you've heard on a couple episodes of this show. #RamseySaidIDo is in full effect as we discuss our upcoming wedding and all the music that gets played at such a function. We also decide what'll be playing during our first dance as husband and wife mid-recording session. We also thought it'd be cool to enlist our parents to talk about the songs that played during their weddings way back when. 

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Music (in order)

International Player's Anthem - UGK ft. Outkast

The Matrimony - Wale ft. Usher

Best Part (cover) - Tone Stith

Shower Me with Your Love - Surface

Differences - Ginuwine 

Let's Get Married - Jagged Edge

Back at One - Brian McKnight

Ribbon in the Sky - Stevie Wonder 

Ribbon in the Sky (a cappella) - Boyz II Men

If This World were Mine - Cheryl Lynn & Luther Vandross

Review: @Goldlink's #AtWhatCost - Written by @Jephtoda

This album is arguably the best hidden gem in DC. DMV spitter Goldlink shines in his third studio project aptly titled At What Cost. Throughout the project, this 2015 XXL Freshman takes listeners through a very unique journey. 

Throughout the project Goldlink engages the listeners with very uptempo beats that keeps them bobbing their heads and on the dance floor. It's that signature Future Bounce style he created with frequent collaborator, Louie Lastic. Link allows his voice to be his strongest instrument captivating the audiences with its uniqueness. Unlike most artists this voice does not have a strong autotune presence which allows him to standout even more. The mixture of house music, go go, and the clear 90s hip hop and R&B influence gel well together and leaves nothing but good vibes for its audience. Even in darker songs such as We Will Never Die featuring Lil' Dude you can't help but sing along with the catchy hook and move along to the snares and 808s. 



The DC native never forgets his humble beginnings and makes several mentions of his hometown in songs such as Roll Call featuring Mya and Crew with Brent Faiyaz & Shy Glizzy. He also links with fellow DC native Wale for the smooth tune Summatime, which leaves you yearning for those summer nights where you enjoy a cool breeze and take a smoke on your porch. I'd love to see a video for this track. Although the rapping duo both hail from the nation's capital this song has such a west coast feel. 

"Yeah, she call me her hubby, she love me but she in California

Want to be the talk of the town, well move to California"

Although it may seem at first glance that only surface level subjects such as girls and hanging with the homies are Goldink's focus nothing is further from the truth. Throughout the whole project Goldlink picks and chooses when and where to open up personally to his fans. He shows his more vulnerable side when sharing about his mother's stroke in track 2 as well as admitting to the guilt he feels for being successful in the final song. Overall it is a standout project and definitely a much needed change of pace in a music scene that heavily revolves around trap music and quite frankly all sounds the same. One time for "the n*gga with the sick ass mouth and the slick ass flow." In my first review I give Goldlink's At What Cost a 3.7 of 5 stars.

Listen: Her Wave/Reminisce feat. @philademusic - @Wale

Wale has been dropping a lot of new material in preparation for the summer and his next album, Shine (Still Here Ignoring Negative Energy).

Recently, he's been building on his brand Every Blue Moon but it seems he's got the time to get in the studio for two albums we can expect this year. Yes, two. He's also slated to appear on MMG's continuation collaboratory project, Self Made Vol. 4. Habib, August Grant, & Channel 3 come together to produce the first song, Her Wave. The track seems to be a nice ballad of words and even samples Miguel's Waves. The second track, Reminisce features fellow DC artist, Phil Ade. Time and time again I complain about how he's underrated and keeps missing out on XXL Lists among other accolades. Anyways the frequent collaborators came together over a sample of the classic They Reminisce Over You by Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Listen to both after the break.

Watch: The God Smile - @Wale

Wale takes us back to the motherland in his new visual.

About an entire year after The Album About Nothing, Wale dropped a new video to The God Smile. In this visual he takes it home to the beautiful Nation of Nigeria. It's safe to say it's about time I put TAAN back into my rotation after watching and listening to this groovy jam. Watch for yourself after the break.

WTM Presents The 5th Annual Hip-Hop Album of the Year 2015 Edition

I could talk about how amazing 2015 was for hip-hop all day. For the most part the staff picks summed that up on it's own.

Spoiler Alert: Fetty Wap didn't Make @WatsTheMovement #AOTY2015 List. I count him as R&B since he sings waaaay better than he raps.

— JC (@RamseySaidWHAT) January 8, 2016

Lots of debuts of new artists. Lots of genre bending music. If you're wondering why your favorite artist isn't on this list remember we rate this list on lyrics, production, flow, popularity, sales and uniqueness. Your favorite didn't do all of those (or it was a mixtape) as well as these did. There's no denying everyone on this list encompasses all aspects of the criteria. . All in all these lists are opinionated at the end of the day. I still did my best to remove self from the equation. I preach all the time there is a difference between the best and your favorite. Either way it's subjective. I hope this sparks conversation (not controversy) but I present to you, What's The Movement's 5th Annual, Hip-Hop Album of the Year: The 2015 Edition.

Number Five: The Incredible True Story - Logic

Picking a number five is probably the hardest thing ever. To deny so many great albums like The Documentary 2 from The Game, Summertime '06 from Vince Staples, Dark Sky Paradise from Big Sean, and more from this list pains me. It really does. However my pick last year got a nomination and rounds out our top five. Logic's sequel to Under Pressure is the album to really open ears everywhere. His first got everyone's attention and now everyone is listening. Chronologically the album paints a great tale of Tom, Kai, and their AI, Thalia (from the last album) and their journey to Paradise. The skits are funny but have their deep moments. Although his debut got a higher rank, musically this album was much better. That really says a lot about how much better 2015 was than 2014. The singles Like Whoa and Young Jesus featuring Big Lenbo are still in rotation. I also really like City of Stars. He combats being a kid that looks white but is really mulatto and how that effects him, the people around him, and the industry itself. I guess we could call it a response to J. Cole's Fire Squad verse. "I didn't talk about my race on the whole first album. But black vs white bullsh*t was the still the outcome." Deep stuff, deep album. Read my original review here.

Number Four: B4DA$$ - Joey Bada$$

The official debut album of Joey Bada$$ makes our list at number four. Lots and lots of growth since we first heard from the 20 year-old from Brooklyn. I enjoyed this album a lot. Probably the best way to kick off a new year. To still make it on this list from January to December is no small feat. This is the oldest album on the list so to remain relevant this long is impressive. I enjoyed Paper Trail$ which is a rework of his collab with DJ Premier, Unorthodox. Like Me is my favorite song on the album. Everything was perfect. It was produced by the legendary J. Dilla, and features the talents of BJ the Chicago Kid on the hook. I also enjoyed Teach Me featuring Kiesza. It takes a spin from the normal sound we are used to hearing from Joey. I still listen to Christ Conscious in the gym too. Song is too gritty and the beat and delivery is fire. Read the original review here.

Number Three: The Album About Nothing - Wale

I could go on and on about this album. This was probably my favorite album to listen to this year. It was refreshing having the old Wale back and for good. The continuation of the About Nothing series brought joy to the heart of his core fans. I'm sure it was a lot of pressure eased after he released it. Lots of people could say he fell off (including myself) post-MMG. I'd say I was wrong. All and all I enjoy the direction he is headed. TAAN served as a new debut to what Wale could (and probably should/want to) be. Lyrically he showed how clever he was, and the use of Jerry Seinfeld on the skits was golden. The singles were great especially The Matrimony featuring the talents of Usher on the hook. Beautiful song I think our generation may even dance to at our weddings. Other songs that stood out were The Need to Know featuring SZA and The Bloom featuring Stokley Williams. You can check out what I had to say in my original review earlier this year.

Number Two: Surf - Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet & the Social Experiment

In May I knew this was definitely going to be in the conversation of Album of The Year. It was dropped as a surprise. No singles and Free99 on iTunes. Surf was like a feel good version of The Roots as Queen and I say. Chance serves as the Black Thought to Donnie T and the Sox. I said my words on it in July and they stand true today. Replay value is still important and I can still listen to every song on here. Every song is a surprise, you never know who could feature on here next. J. Cole, Erykah Badu, Jeremih, Busta Rhymes, Quavo, Big Sean and many many more make appearances. Some people played Chocolate Factory at their cookouts this summer, I played Surf. Read the original review here.

Number One: To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar

Since Good Kid m.A.A.d city dropped the world has been saying one name as far as hip-hop goes, Kendrick Lamar. In my opinion the general public handed him the game on a silver platter as if the way was paved for him. Frankly that train of thought was wrong. Countless features on hit songs, dropping an instant classic in GKMC, and the verse heard round the world in Control has garnered the public's respect. Overrated? Possibly, but it wasn't a question if TPAB was the best album of the year. The question was finding an album that was better. When all was said and done there wasn't.

To Pimp a Butterfly was our unanimous pick this year. It was so complex Issah AND Niles both wrote reviews. It contained elements of Jazz and Funk to compliment his music. We saw that in his work with George Clinton and frequent collaborators Thundercat, Bilal, and Anna Wise. Kendrick also kept true to his west side roots and made G-Funk songs like Institutionalized that include the talents of Snoop Dogg while still preaching the good fight. I was surprised no one from the TDE stable made an appearance on this album. The singles were cool. His lead single I was dope because he changed it to sound like a live performance on the album version. He always has a twist to his radio edit and his album version like he did on Swimming Pools from the previous project. He also dropped videos for King Kunta, These Walls, and more. u was super super deep to my heart. I understood what it was like to self evaluate and climb from a state of depression so that hit home for me. Climbing out of the funk was important and Alright was just the song to do it. Song order was perfect here. It's no question in my mind that Alright was the best song this year, don't argue with me. "If I got you and if you got me and if God got us then we gone be alllllriiight!" You can't help but be excited listening to that at any venue whether it's your dorm, the club, shoot even at church. Kendrick wrapped up the album in the most amazing way with a posthumous interview with his predecessor, Tupac Shakur. The song was titled Mortal Man and featured James Fauntleroy.

I didn't think this was going to be a sequel to GKMC. Beforehand I figured the album was going to touch on where he's grown as a man. Kendrick has an amazing ability to spark the minds of his listeners to think. Not necessarily relate and agree but to formulate thoughts of our own. Like Cole before him he performed a song in tribute to those lost from Police Brutality before the album on Colbert Report. You can see that in our preview. I think the album was very timely. Really important in the stage we are and where this country is headed. I used to wonder how he could talk about money, cars, clothes, hoes, God, and history in the same sentence. It makes sense now. . TPAB gets 4.77 of 5 stars on the Ramsey Rating Scale. With that being said King Kendrick has successfully won repeat AOTY's on What's The Movement. What's to come this 2016? It doesn't matter as long as the music continues to get better. Keep listening my friends.

Staff Picks AOTY 2015 - @AQueens_Crown

2015 has been a crazy one for me, and I wouldn’t have gotten thru some it without music. So here is my top 5 of the best of the best in music this year.

Number five: Drake - If You're Reading This Its Too Late

Yes it’s a album!

As the kids would say, Drake’s IYRTITL went HARD! Drake was much more aggressive on this album compared to the others. Maybe he was tired of the jokes, who knows, but the Drake we have seen since this album dropped has been a beast. “Is that your world tour, or your girls tour” I don’t even have to say anything else, and I already know you’re picturing your favorite meme.You heard the aggressive tone on tracks 6PM In New York and 6 God. He spit raw bars into some of these tracks. He didn’t sing on this album that I know many expected. One of lines where Drake is letting you know how they feel comes fom Engery "I got rap niggas that I gotta act like I like. But my actin’ days are over, fuck them niggas for life." 

Number four: Ty Dolla $ign- FreeTC

I was honestly surprised with how much I liked this album. Granted Ty Dolla $ign leans more on the R&B side of things. He often crosses into the rap genre so I was expecting more rap. However, you get a nice medley of his voice and feels of old school R&B. Horses in the Stable is one of my favorites. Mirale/Wherever ft TC & d-Loc was another song that was nice to listen too. Even though you can tell the features were done behind prison walls, it doesn’t take away from TC’s amazing voice.

Number three: Chance the Rapper, Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment - Surf

Overall, this was a fun album. Filled with great features such as Big Sean, KYLE, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, and many more. I know many look as this project as the work of Chance the Rapper, but its not. This comes from the great minds of Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment. Think of them as similar to The Roots if you need a reference point. It's hard to find a track that I didn’t like on this album. The whole thing is filled with smart lines, beautiful instrumentals, and uplifting messages like on Wanna Be Cool, about being yourself, or Sunday Candy, an ode to Grandmas everywhere.

Number two: Wale - The Album About Nothing

This is the album I have always wanted from Wale.  Going with the same theme as his most popular mixtapes  The Mixtape About Nothing and The More About Nothing. Wale enlists the help of stand up comedian  Jerry Seinfeld  to narrate the album.  They talk about love, drugs, and just life in general. I wish Wale was appreciated more as an artist. His viewpoint on all things life have always been expressed in his work, but with this album I felt like it was really delivered properly. The Girls on Drugs was a great song about, as the title suggests, girls on drugs. It describes a cautionary tale of a woman's battle with pills. I hope Wale continues to deliver and be received by old and new fans to come.

Number one: Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

Everyone is lying if they say Kendrick didn’t have one of the best albums of the year. To Pimp a Butterfly is a milestone in the history of hip hop. I cant descried the album anything less than beautiful. The theme of black empowerment, which ran throughout the whole album, heard clearly in Complexion. I cherished the poetry in These Walls, Kendrick speaking on different types of “walls” and what they mean for the person.  I know when the first single i was released, people didn’t really like it, but it set he tone of Kendrick’s mindset when making this album. In u he faces his own demons as a black man, that is suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Feeling like everyone is changing, causing him to question his faith. A place I am sure people can relate to. If you haven’t already or even if you already listened go give the album a listen, make sure you listen carefully.

Staff Picks AOTY 2015 - @Maryyy_UK

It seems like we are getting hip hop back. We must be because it was actually difficult to pick my top five albums for this year. There were a lot of albums with a lot of different sounds. Sometimes I think music can blend so much that they're aren't specific genres any more. This can be a positive thing, because it enhances the community of the music world, but it can also make artists not stand out. The albums in my top five were able to find a way to stand out among the crowd, especially for their quality.

 #5 The Album About Nothing - Wale 

Wale’s Album About Nothing received some criticism when it first came out. it sold pretty well, but some people thought the piece was boring. I disagree. While it’s not trap music, and it doesn't have many club beats in it, is was very well-crafted. I love the way that even though it’s a album about nothing in particular, it has the common Seinfeld theme (which is a show about nothing, for non-Seinfeld watchers out there). His single, The Matrimony featuring Usher, was well received by audiences. He also had J. Cole in The Pessimist. This track was the realest sh*t he ever wrote to be honest. He and Cole list the reasons why our people are feeling hopeless, and most of them are pretty relevant to now. “If a nigga kill a nigga he another statistic, but if his skins a little different they gonna say it was self defense, a nigga feeling hopeless.” Sza, and Stokley Williams are also featured on the album. It’s definitely not the album that listen to before you go out Friday night, but like the show Seinfeld, it has classic moments that we can all relate too, and sometimes laugh about.
4.0 out of 5.0


 #4 If You're Reading This It’s Too Late. - Drake 

 WITH MY WOES! sorry, I had to do it.

Just when we thought Drake was getting too soft, he gives us this album. I’m not going to pretend that I wasn't a fan of his emotional pop stuff; Take Care was my album, but not everyone was on board with that. He gave the people who say, Drake doesn’t rap a reason to shut up. In No Tellin’ he says “Please do not speak to me like I'm that Drake from four years ago, I’m at a higher place/ Thinking they lions and tigers and bears, I go hunting/ Put heads on my fireplace." Yup its clear that Drake is in a different place now. He’s not all hard, but this more aggressive side he is showing is waking people up. This isn't the new Drake, this is the real Drake, and he is taking control of his own sound.
4.25 out of 5.0


 #3 Tetsuo and Youth - Lupe Fiasco 

As a Lupe fan, I was satisfied with this album. It was about a three year wait between this and his previous album, Food and Liquor II, but it was well worth the wait. His second track, Mural, is what had everyone talking. Eight minutes of rap; no chorus, bridge, or even another person featuring. It was just Lupe and the beat. Even if you hated what he said in the track, anyone would respect the ability to actually flow for that long. But I loved it. It was what a mural would sound like: different images that are seemingly independent, but in the end create a masterpiece. But that wasn't the only song that was great. There is this amazing religious imagery in songs like Madonna, Adoration of the Magi, and They.Resurrect.Over.New, that connect to faces you see in your neighborhood. Dots & Lines probably has the most intelligent and well crafted lines in a rap. This is a treat for you who like math and rap. I’m not even a numbers person, but I respected the hell out of it. Lupe also incorporated the youth in the seasons interludes, showing how kids would see each one. This was an intricate construction of an album, no wonder it took him three years.
4.4 out of 5.0


 #2 Summertime '06 - Vince Staples 

The up-and-coming Vince Staples surprised me with this album. “Man the sea’s been polluted baptism for the shooter." Damn. This guy has bars, I want to compare him to my number one spot holder (scroll down to see.) He just has a gift with words, building a distorted image in your mind like a twisted dream; somehow he makes the strangest comparisons make sense. He has a two disc album, and while all the songs are hearty in content, most of them are 3 minutes or less. These short vignettes aren’t scene of a warm and happy California, this album is picture of the Long Beach that most people don’t see. Lift Me Up and was a favorite of mine, other good ones were Dopeman, featuring his old group member Joey Fatts and Kilo Kish and Might Be Wrong featuring Haneef Taleb and eeeeeee. On this track Staples doesn't even rap. Its a speech followed by a phone recording. Rolling Stone called Staples “the most exciting rapper” this past summer. But this isn’t his first rodeo. This was technically his debut album, but he caught our attention with his EP Hell Can Wait. This album is just another stepping stone for him. I have a feeling he’s the type of artists that gets better with age.
4.5 out of 5


 #1 To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar 

I don’t know how there can be any dispute on this one to be honest. This album is what hip hop needed at the right time. I've been a Kendrick fan for a while and I think this is his best work yet. From the beat to the arrangement and of course the lyrics, Kendrick makes an album that is a perfect mix of rap, poetry, and ultimately art. The song that haunts me is How Much A Dollar Cost. The development of the story peeks inside the mind of every person who has walked by a homeless person who asks for money. This was President Obama’s favorite song in 2015 and the man has good taste in music. Even if you can’t relate to the content that he raps about, you can appreciate the way he conveys a message to his audience. The reoccurring character Lucy, short for Lucifer, comes and tempts Kendrick throughout the album with glitters that ultimately kill us all in the end. In “u” we get into K.Dot's mind. It is a dark track, where he battles with his own thoughts of despair and depression. However In “i” he combats that saying “I love myself.”  However this isn't just a celebration of him escaping the prison of self hate. This is a version where he breaks up a fight in the middle of a concert, reprimanding kids who say “fuck niggas” telling them to have respect of themselves and each other. And his interview with Tupac in Mortal Man was the icing on the cake, the greatest of our generation talking to his mentor is genius. The whole thing is raw. Good raw.
4.65 out of 5

This year showed me that we have real rap. One honorable mention was Big Sean’s Dark Sky Paradise, his third studio album. He is the one of the top MCs in the game, but he leans more to a commercial audience and hasn't reached his full potential yet as a lyricist. I always come in contact with people who always try to downplay rap. They tell me it’s disrespectful, mysogynistic, and violent. Before I would have to go far back in the crevices of my mind and find the most obscure rappers to prove that they were wrong, with this years productions I don’t have to do that. These rappers are making art and yes while the lyrics can include all of the aforementioned things, they are creatively and intelligently making beauty of the environment that surrounds us. Yeah it can be grotesque sometimes, but they have made it a true reflection of this world. Artists this year have held up the mirror to their audience and are basically saying just what Tupac said in Mortal Man “We aren't even really rapping. We are letting our dead homies tell stories for us.” In short, they're letting their lives and experiences motivate the message in their art.

Listen: No Shade - @ChazFrenchhh feat @Wale (Prod. @super_miles)

The first time I heard of Chaz French was a song called Aquafina by Falcons which he and Goldlink were featured in.

After that I listened to his Happy Belated album which was surperb. Like then, he's now the headliner and the spotlight serves him well. A couple weeks ago he dropped No Shade produced by Super Miles which gets the cosign by a guest verse by fellow DC spitter Wale. Not sure if this is going on his next project, These Things Take Time like his last single, Remember. Listen to No Shade after the break below, and look out for These Things Take Time set to release December 11th.

@Logic301 Preview - The Incredible True Story

Aside from the RattPack, Maryland native Logic has pretty much been slept on by just about everybody.

I first came about Logic when Wale gave him a Twitter cosign along with fellow DMV spitter Phil Ade.  Young Sinatra is coming off a huge success with Under Pressure last year, Logic looks to continue his winning trends with his sophomore studio album The Incredible True Story. Under Pressure didn't necessarily sell well but the public was very receptive of it. iTunes rated it the best hip-hop album of 2014 and it also got the Editor's nod last year for WTM. Logic is also member of the 2013 XXL Freshman class. In my opinion they are the most successful and talented group to come out thusfar so being chosen among his peers that year says a lot about your skills as an emcee and artist overall. The Incredible True Story is slated to release November 13th and can be pre-ordered on iTunes now. To date he's only released two singles, Young Jesus featuring Big Lenbo and Like Woah; both come with your pre-order. Listen to both tracks below and look out for Psychological coming very soon.

Pain & Perseverance: a mix by @FEELZ_

Pain & Perseverance.

I always love any chance I get to write a thought piece. I'm just glad I get to link that with my first love, music. Kafele came to me a few months back asking was I attending the Million Man March. I wasn't sure but he proposed we used our talents to curate a mix for the people. So with this platform and his skills behind the wheels of steel I couldn't refuse. With this mix we'll revisit old jams to contemporary songs that represent our struggle and what it means to be black and in America. So we empty into our nation's capital for the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March enjoy these tunes. Our cries over time have been reprised in protest and also in music. Join us in a trip from Jay-Z and Lupe Fiasco to The Roots and Mos Def. This was an amazing way to combine the two, and as always, Justice or Else! Below is the mix and a track listing containing a synopsis of its relevance to the mix written by Kafele Thomas.


Room 306 - Mickey Factz

"You know we are kings and queens/mistaken for the enemy/You know we will overcome/We won't stop 'til the race is won"

The story of Pain & Perseverance begins with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many people point to this event as the beginning of the dissolution of the Civil Rights Movement. After the assassination of many prominent African American leaders, the movement dissipated due to a lack of centralized leaders.

Minority Report – Jay-Z ft. Ne-Yo

“Then it wasn’t on the nightly news no more/Suddenly, it doesn’t matter to you no more"

Hurricane Katrina was a tragedy for America as a whole, but especially devastating for the black citizens of New Orleans. Due to decades of redlining and discriminatory housing practices, blacks in New Orleans were forced to live in the lowest lying neighborhoods such as the 9th Ward. When Katrina hit, those neighborhoods were the hardest hit and unfortunately the least cared for. Media coverage was specifically naming African American citizens as “looters” and “refugees”, when they were simply people trying to survive after their countrymen abandoned them. This built up to Kanye West’s penultimate moment and one of the most important events in TV history “George Bush doesn’t care about Black people.” Even though we can all agree “Kingdom Come” was a dud, I think this is low-key one of Jay’s best tracks. You can hear his pain and disgust. Hov has never been a rapper who shows his emotion through his rhymes so the rawness of the track really pops out at you.

Don’t Feel Right – The Roots

“When the fridgerator’s nekkid and the cupboard’s is bare/People gotta strip nekkid and stick’ em up in the air”

Black Thought has always been an MC who always is in tune with current events and uses his music as a social tool. Don’t Feel Right describes one of the biggest issues affecting the black community – the lack of opportunity. Institutional racism keeps African-Americans segregated in communities with low property value, a small amount of jobs, poor schools, and crumbling infrastructure. The old saying “If I can’t work to make it, I’ll rob to take it” is one of the unfortunate laws of life in the inner city, which is the story of the next track…

A Tale of Two Citiez – J. Cole

“I look around like ‘Do you wanna be another nigga who ain’t ever have things? Guess not/ Last night, we pulled up on a nigga at the light like../ ‘Nice watch.. Run it."

Cole’s story shows how “If I can’t work to make it, I’ll rob to take it” sucks all people forced into these communities to play the game, whether willing participants or not. Cole tells the story of being broke in the hood and realizing that dire situations bring out the worst in people. Cole’s boy got jacked for his watch in the first verse, but by the end of the song Cole and his boys are the ones pulling the stick up moves, due to a lack of opportunities to get out of the hood the legal way. The rules of street life are messy and bloody, which in turns creates the biggest media farce of our time “Black on Black Crime”

Blacker the Berry – Kendrick Lamar

“You sabotaged my community making a killing/ You made me a killer/ The emancipation of a real nigga”

K. Dot’s track is raw anger. He lashes out at America for putting the African-American community in the lose-lose game that it’s in and also his fellow brothers for perpetuating violence. In the track Kendrick refers to himself as a hypocrite for being mad at white America at large when black men and women kill each other every day. “Black on black crime” is a nonsense term that permeates through society as an excuse for why black people haven’t received our inalienable rights provided to us by the Constitution. Throughout history, violent crime often occurs in poor communities and crimes are committed by those who live in close proximity. Since most black people have been institutionalized into ghettos via the government and banks via predatory loans, most violent crime in the inner city is committed by those of the same racial background. “Black on Black crime” is the same as “White on White crime”, or “Asian on Asian crime”, but unfortunately, only one ethnic group gets that tag from the media.

Freedom Ain’t Free – Lupe Fiasco

“Say that we should protest just to get arrested/ That goes against all my hustlin’ ethics/ A bunch of jail niggas say that’s highly ineffective/ Depart from Martin/ Connect on Malcolm X tip.”

Lupe’s track that samples the classic Pete Rock jam T.R.O.Y shows how the “American Dream” sold to us is fool’s gold. Not only does it leave behind many Americans behind, but America is built on resources from poor countries full of black and brown people via globalization. The realization that to fund the pockets of the 1%, billions of people are being shut out of prosperity to keep the machine running is disheartening. This track came out right after the Occupy Wall Street Movement and showed the violent response by the police to protesters and the trampling of our rights to assemble. The cold hard evidence that the powers that be aren’t interested in improve the lives of many is the root of this track’s feeling of futility and hopelessness.

The Pessimist – Wale ft. J. Cole

“Got a pocket full of lint again, but it make no difference to me/ Fallin’ out with my friends again, but it makes no difference to me/ Goddamn, I’m hopeless/ Oh man, I’m hopeless”

The Pessimist is the build-up of all these issues. The feeling of hopelessness and despair is soul-crushing. Wale points to how so many different things are holding him back and not knowing how to find the silver lining. Life as a black man in America often feels like everyone is aiming at you and trying to kill you and your success. Your own community might throw shade at you for being one of the few to make it out of the hood, while you are facing institutional racism and a lack of acceptance by mainstream America unless you agree to fully assimilate into their culture. Cole’s line in the hook “still I pray” speaks to the church as a sanctuary for blacks throughout our history. The ability to pray for a better day shows our perseverance through all this pain we endure.

Don’t – Juicy J

“They talk about peace/but how that’s gon’ be/ when police leaving young niggas dead in the street”

Juicy J’s track Don’t is short, but powerful, especially coming from a supposed Commercial artist like him. The track speaks to the overflow of anger at police brutality and how as Martin Luther King Jr. stated “Riot is the language of the unheard”. In Baltimore, Ferguson, New York, Charleston, Los Angeles, and countless other cities and towns throughout America, black people are often looked at as menaces and terrors for how we dress, act, and talk. We’re always followed in stores, stopped unnecessarily by the police, stared at when we’re somewhere we’re “not supposed to be”. Our mothers warn us about interactions with the police every day when we leave the house as children not knowing whether we’ll make it back in safely. America’s innate fear of the black body causes tension and hostility that builds up and boils over during these senseless killings.

Animals – Dr. Dre ft. Anderson.Paak

“Please don’t come around these parts/ And tell us we’re a bunch of animals/ The only time they wanna turn the cameras on/ Is when we’re fucking shit up”

During the protests this summer, media coverage and social media was filled with people from outside the African-American community judging us for our anger. A lot of these people forget that America was founded off of violent protest (Boston Tea Party, anyone?). The issues that go on in the inner city aren’t spoken about and addressed by the mainstream media, but when the riots occurred that was where all of the media focus was. This only serves to perpetuate the stereotype of violent scary nature and that an angry black populous is something for White America to be very afraid of. Most of the media and talking heads, don’t care about the systemic issues plaguing our community, but are only interested in the reaction for TV ratings. It speaks to America’s obsession with addressing the symptoms of the disease of racism, rather than focus on a cure to eradicate it.

Mr. Nigga – Mos Def

“They say they want you successful/ but then they make it stressful/ You start keeping pace/ and they start changing up the tempo”

Mos Def in his classic, witty way describes how even when a black man manages to use his abilities to be one of the few to escape the perils of the ‘hood, he is faced with a world who doesn’t accept him. If one doesn’t conform to mainstream America, he is combated with multiple micro-aggressions every single day. From media persecution, not being able to sit in first class, eat at fancy restaurants, or drive luxury vehicles without being stared at like you don’t belong, even with the “American Dream” achieved, we aren’t accepted.

Foreclosures – Rick Ross

“The white man call us stupid niggers/ We spend it all, nothing for our children”

“Foreclosures” by Rozay is the other side of the tale “Mr. Nigga” told. In the black community, we have a culture of materialism. Because we’ve never been able to achieve proper wealth, we spend our money flossing. We take pride in jewelry, cars, and, clothes more than stocks, bonds, and real estate. Financial education is severely lacking in our community, so that when we finally do hit our payday and get money, there’s a good chance that it will disappear just as quickly due to poor decisions. We’ve all seen the statistics on athletes and musicians blowing their fortunes. This stops us from building generational wealth that can further advance our communities.

Murder to Excellence – Jay-Z & Kanye West

“Only a few blacks, higher I go/ What’s up to Will/ Shoutout to O/ That ain’t enough/ We gon’ need a million more”

Jay and Ye dropped a gem speaking of learning to love ourselves and achieve our greatness. Very few blacks have been able to hit the heights of Jay and Ye and Hov laments that the more success he achieves, the fewer of his people he sees at that stature. It really speaks to the exceptionalism that one has to reach to attain that level of success from one of our communities. Unfortunately, the cards are stacked against many of us. Many black children are told as kids that we need to work twice as hard to get half as much, due to the circumstance of the world we live in. Belief in one’s self and trusting your ability to succeed and persevere to rise to excellence should be commended.

Alright – Kendrick Lamar

“And we hate po-po/ Wanna kill us dead in the street fo’ sho’, nigga/ I’m at the preacher’s door/ My knees getting weak and my gun might blow, but we gon’ be alright”

K. Dot’s track speaks to the ability to look at the darkness of life, stare it in the face, and walk boldly ahead. Through all the adversity and pain, we’ve still managed to accomplish so much. There is a lot to take pride in from our community. Our culture has persevered through out countless assaults and is a living, breathing testament to our ability to withstand and remain firm. I left in Kendrick’s poem because although it’s a personal story, I feel it relates to all of us in our search for understanding and a place to belong in this world.

Hood Now (Outro) – Lupe Fiasco

“What do you do when it’s so unequal/ Wear Michael Jordan’s with your tuxedo’s/ It’s hood now/ It’s hood now/ Yeah, yeah it’s hood now”

 Lupe’s track is fitting to close with. We’ve left an undeniable mark on not only pop culture, but America as a whole. Our ability to make lemonade out of the sourest lemons ever created is to be celebrated. Although fought a long, exhausting fight.. a fight where we’ve been knocked down repeatedly, we’ve never been knocked out. We’ve taken haymakers, got back up, and kept on swinging. Chipping away at the roadblock of racism in our way with jabs and hooks. Every generation before us has weakened it and left our mark on this world and it’s our duty to continue the fight.

Listen: Spoiled - @Wale

A little while back Wale dropped a new loose track. Possibly something that didn't make the cut for The Album About Nothing.

In his new song, Spoiled, Wale sings a tale similar to one of Fabolous and J. Cole's Louis Vuitton. I guess that's just first-world problems to have beautiful women scheming in their wallet. Wale spends more time singing than rapping on this track. He even samples the hilarious vine "MHMMOHMYGOD, Why the F*ck you lying" using the Too Close instrumental by Next. Enjoy Spoiled by the DC spitter below.

Watch: The Bloom - @Wale featuring @StokleyOfficial

Wale has finally released visuals for The Bloom.

One of the best songs from the DC Native's newest offering, The Album About Nothing finally gets a video. Wale and Stokley Williams jet set to a tropical beach. The visuals and clever wordplay mesh well. I had more to say when I reviewed the project previously. For now, you can enjoy the video below.

@Miguel Wildheart Preview by @RamseySaidWHAT

I always get excited to hear that R&B is making a revival. Some may say it never left but nowadays we see the stars take a Pop, Sex, and Rap route away from the songs about love. Thusfar in their careers Frank Ocean and Miguel always seem to do battle by dropping projects at the same time. While some still wait on Frank Ocean's first offering since Channel Orange others are just as excited for the return of the quirky singer songwriter, Miguel.

The wait is only a little bit shorter as he announced his release date for June 29th. The album will be titled Wildheart. We've already got a single with a familiar partner Wale in a song titled Coffee (F**king). I get it I contridicted what I said earlier about sex but we all gotta eat right? Miguel has always been good at releasing music early if you can remember the Art Dealer Chic, and Water/Air Preview EPs. With that being said he recently released tracks on his Vevo and streaming on Spotify in advance. On his new songs he has features from Lenny Kravitz and Kurrupt. NPR actually is hosting a free stream of the album in it's entirety here. You can listen to the new music by Miguel below and you can pre-order Wildheart on iTunes now.

Editorial Review: The Album About Nothing - @Wale by @RamseySaidWHAT

Alright. I get it. I made a lot of constructive criticism towards Wale and the high expectations for his Album About Nothing (TAAN). I was wrong, and Kyle I apologize you were right.

I don't know what it is but it seems like on the third release on a contract it seems artists show more creative freedom than previous releases. Thus The Album About Nothing sounds like a Wale album circa 2009 rather than post MMG. To me it sounds like a debut album rather than the 4th go round for him. This is his diary and that's no pun on Attention Deficit. There's so much feeling and emotion attached to this project. Let's get to it.

The Intro About Nothing is previously recorded on Outro About Nothing on his previous album, The Gifted. His skit with Jerry Seinfeld is accompanied with cheery chords and a choir. The Helium Balloon is a testament to how well Wale uses metaphor to spill his guts. A few months before the album he broke down the song in an interview on LA's Power 106. He explains that there's nothing he can do to fully please his fans. Say you discover a new artist. You want him to blow up and fly but at the same time you are scared he'll change with the newfound fame so you want him to fly but keep it all to yourself. Like a helium balloon attached to a child's wrists. Talk about symbolism.

Next up is, The White Shoes. He uses his vast sneaker knowledge to create bars within the song. The hook reminds me of Kendrick Lamar's Alright. He reminds us that things will be okay regardless of the struggle. Throughout his struggle he tells himself what's important and to stray from those whose priorities aren't in order. "These n*ggas love white shoes so much they'd be buried in them." Damn. I wouldn't call The White Shoes a sad song but melancholy. The track is a perfect transistion for the next cut, The Pessimist featuring J. Cole. When these two hook up it usually leads to straight fire and almost a competition of bars but unfortunately this time it's just a hook from Cole and bars from Wale. Thus far through the album this is the only Seinfeld skit recorded from the show and not actually Jerry in the booth. The skit is a conversation between Jerry and George speaking on the theme of Hope.

As I previously stated this album is a diary for Wale. As he puts it "I'm in the passenger seat and my fans are driving." I've always had a love hate relationship with Wale and his honesty. He's so open and easily obtained. I don't mean easy to read but he gives us his all unlike anyone else in the mainstream industry. I love it but at the same time I've always felt he doesn't have to respond to everyone and more specifically his haters. With that being said he addresses this issue in his next track, The Middle Finger. "I respect dudes from my double M crew, but I'm just not that dude hanging on to who's who's and such." He respects them and loves his labelmates but he doesn't want to be known as another MMG guy. Then in the hook he addresses his haters again, just not in the way he usually does. It's quite simple actually. "F*ck you leave me alone."

The One Time in Houston starts using a sample of New Edition's If It Isn't Love. Genius. Then a skit between George, Jerry, and Elaine tells the real story. George is struggling in the episode because he tells his girlfriend he loves her and she responds with "Let's get something to eat." I know you Seinfeld fans remember that episode. Funny but it makes a good point of how no one wants the people that want them, they want someone else. That's a different write up on a different blog. The song goes into that Houston trademark chopped and screwed feel and focuses on women who aren't focused on men but making their money. And strippers, did I mention strippers? Phil Ade does a great job on the hook. Track seven is The Girls on Drugs. I didn't quite get it when I first heard it. After watching the visual it all made sense and was a great addition to the album. The God Smile is the turning point of TAAN. The title is self explanatory. He's asking God to shine his light on him so he can put the DMV on his back. This is the best produced track on the album, DJ Dahi did his thing on this one as usual.

The God Smile is followed up by The Need to Know. Featuring SZA, this is arguably the best song on the album. Wale explains that the world don't need to know what goes on between him and his girl. That's a lesson I think all adolescences can learn from. To top it all off the soulful Jersey crooner sings an acoustic sample of Just Friends (Sunny) by Musiq Soulchild. Then Jerry and Elaine discuss an opportunity at being friends with benefits in a comical way. The Success is another beautifully produced track. Jake One samples a gospel favorite Psalm 121. The Glass Egg is also broken down in the interview on Power 106 but might be the only skip on the album. Don't get it twisted, the song serves it's purpose. The metaphor is impeccable and his flow mirrors Groove Theory's Tell Me. That's for the grown folks.

The next track, The Bloom (AG3), is arguably my favorite cut on here. It kinda reminds me of The Power from More About Nothing but not quite if you get me. Stokley Williams assists an upbeat produced record making it perfect for that family barbecue you have planned for the summer. Wale's wordplay in this track is unmatched. He compares his woman with a flower. "Excuse me Mrs. Um.. You don't know me but...Thank you for your flow, but I'm tryna be your sun." "Tell Me bout your roots, and how you've came up, I call you my flower cause you're my boo, K?" He's a wordsmith and his lyrical dexterity can't be matched. "Fresh out of college and they sweat you, now you got degrees."Wale is flat out clever.

The Matrimony featuring Usher was another single we got before the album dropped. Before and after I still enjoy this cut. What I like most is the skit beforehand when Jerry and Wale have a nice conversation or interview before the beat really drops. I think on the album version you miss out. You get the rest in a studio session that you can watch below.


Usher does the rest on the studio version of the album and Wale pleads his case on where he stands with marriage. Touching really, especially when you relate like I do. The Body is the first single that was released for TAAN. Jerimih does a great job on the hook. The track was nice. That's all I have to say about that (Forrest Gump voice*). I'm actually glad he ended the album with the tracks we've already heard beforehand. It forces you to actually sit and listen.

Wale is the love child of R&B, Gospel, and his hometown Go-Go Music. The skits and samples from Seinfeld was perfect and reminds me of the classic Wale style we were used to seeing on the Mixtape series. Wale still delivers with his spoken word and lyrical skill. In December it'll be hard to keep this out of the album of the year argument. Frankly this is my favorite Wale project and he has indeed progressed as an artist and as a man. Keep up the good work. You can Stream The Album About Nothing below.

Watch: The Girls on Drugs - @Wale

This video started out like a dream I had once (a day, everyday). It then took a turn for the worst.

Beautiful women working out, having fun, setting thirst traps, and doing drugs (duh) are the main subject of Wale's new visual for Girls on Drugs. Although serious Wale seems to get his "Drake" on with a young woman on her way to a downward spiral and her lifestyle decisions. See what happens next on your own below. The Album About Nothing is in stores now and be sure to stay tuned for my review on the project very soon.

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