mixtape maestro (2.0)

Though having names like Wale and Gucci Mane attached damn near guaranteed Attention Deficit‘s latest (but should have been first) single “Pretty Girls” would draw audiences in large waves, anyone who has been charmed by this record and given it umpteen re-spins since it’s leak-premiere last Summer knows it’s not the rappers that keep them coming back for more.

No, that honor would have to go to hook-wailer Weensey (singer of the long-running DC-area go-go act the Backyard Band) and the room-filling gloriousness of his edge-of-range croaks awe-struck by the lovely ladies surrounding him.

Sadly, this newest remix doesn’t allow Weensey a larger role, but it does feature Wale offering a new verse, as well as guest appearances from Chris Brown (still trying his best to win back public favor) and Fabolous, who’s always good for a semi-clever misogynist jewel or two (“Like a hooker in the winter/ Them hos’ cold”).

DL: “Pretty Girls (Remix)” (alt)

Just when our adoration for Gucci Mane‘s The State vs. Radric Davis-housed tribute to all things yellow (bling, rims, booty), “Lemonade”, is at an all time high (surely, we’ll have another “best Gucci Mane track ever!!” next month, but right now we can’t get enough of the track’s manic piano tinkering and chorus of children awesomely chiming “Lemon pepper wangs and a freeze cup”), Fabolous swoops down on the Bangladesh beat to give it a different excellent flip.

The track, entitled “For The Money”, is one of the immediate highlights from Fab’s newly dropped mixtape There is No Competition – Part 2: The Funeral Service and could honestly be a hit single all on it’s own, thanks to the Brooklyn emcee changing it’s lyrical focus from singular hue obsessions to one of his own favorite radio banger topics (“shawtys” with dollar signs in their eyes) while humorously revising the hook with squeaky-voiced anony-chicks begging him to “write another song for the money” to keep their high-priced lifestyle on point.

“When the money gone/ She gon’ be the fuck gone with it,” Fab preaches, sounding not as much annoyed as mildly amused by his girl’s gold-digging obviousness: “I say ‘How many pair?’/ She say ‘Who’s countin?’”. Of course, though, it’s featured guest Nicki Minaj who ends up stealing the entire track with this LOL-worthy verse capper: “I told Fab ‘Get that Michael Knight KITT Coupe/ Before I put this pussy on your chipped tooth’”.

Grab the MP3 below, than (YOU MUST!!!) peep the song that started it all: “Lemonade”/ “For The Money”‘s sample source, “Keep It Warm”, a hilarious gem by ’70′s duo Flo & Eddie (in the words of Drake, after hearing this one, you’ll definitely want to ‘thank us later’).

DL: “For The Money” (alt)

Flo & Eddie “Keep It Warm”:

DL: “Keep It Warm” (alt)

Eve kicked 2010 off with the announcement that she was parting ways with long-time label Interscope and re-entering the studio to start piecing together a new new incarnation of her long-delayed fourth LP; in response, we couldn’t even muster up the mildest of shrugs.

Why, you may ask? Let’s just say it’s hard getting excited anymore over the potential release of an album that has been promised to drop every year for the past three years now (let’s not forget that the project’s one-time lead single, the still-amazing “Tambourine”, arrived waaaay back in 2007).

If the set (now entitled Lip Lock) does manage to make it’s way to stores sometime before we have to start shopping for 2011 calendars though, we hope it follows through on the somewhat intriguing idea of her going after atypical soundscapes (like the Salaam Remi/ Benga dubstep beat she pasted her vocals on on the ’09 leak “Me N My”), rather than feature ho-hum repeatings of the tried-and-true, a category in which the newly leaked “Fire” falls.

Don’t get us wrong, as far as re-igniting the interest of faded-away audiences, “Fire” does a decent job: Its backing beat gives a sleek, Southern(-rap)-fried spin to White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” instrumental; the hook (“All y’all can spell my name/ E-V-E, ain’t nothing changed”) carries a certain double-dutch chant charm; and, in Eve’s rhymes, there’s a flicker of that old “pitbull in a skirt” we first fell in love with over ten years ago as she coolly dismisses grapevine gab of her retiring from the rap game (“What, you thought I gave it up?/ Like I was done and over?/ Guess I done fucked up your luck/ Better throw out your four leaf clover…”).

It’s just that, in our heads, we’d much rather have this street buzz-ish banger be the jump-off for a comeback-themed mixtape collection, where it could help build excitement for an official LP full of true game-changing efforts in a similar vein as aforementioned delights “Tambourine” and “Me N My”.

DL: “Fire” (alt)

Bonus DL: Eve featuring Missy Elliott, Fabolous & Swizz Beatz “Tambourine (Remix)” (alt)

Kinda frightening to think what the rap landscape will be like once Wayne has to spend his year in prison, innit?

Even at his most irritating ubiquitous, the man has the power to heighten hip hop-themed conversation unlike very few others, with whatever new song, remix, freestyle to emerge from him destined to light up the blogosphere commentary world with record speed no matter how great or meh said product is.

Knowing Weezy though, he’ll make sure the twelve month sentence will fly by without folks getting the chance to miss him too much, as he’s probably in the lab right this moment cooking up enough freestyle dishes to ensure one new lyrical treat premieres each of the three hundred and sixty-five days. Alongside “official” joints set for planned near-future releases both solo (the long pushed-back rap/ rock question mark Rebirth, The Carter IV) and label related (Young Money Fam; solo debuts from Mack Maine and Nikki Minaj), Wayne will likely remain just as omnipresent as he has been the past few years.

But to steer focus back to what this post was really supposed to be about…Wayne’s newest mixtape, No Ceilings, has hit the Webs (four days earlier than expected), and for all those longing to hear the Young Money king slather some of the hottest hip hop beats of 2009 (from Jay’s “Run This Town” to Gucci Mane’s “Wasted” to, er, the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling”) with his typically WTF vocabulary (you could make a drinking game out of the many creative ways he spins an “I’m the shit” boast or cleverly embeds an athlete’s name into a line)…think of this as an early Christmas present.

Catch some of our favorites below, including “Break Up”, a collaboration with Short Dawg and Gudda Gudda over the beat behind Mario’s current smash (and oh how much better that circular Bangladesh-produced loop sounds when it’s not being awkwardly used to support a R&B track), and “Throw It In The Bag”, which sees Wayne narrating the pleasures of lavish life-aided rap sex-mance (“Fuckin’ on Versace/ Napping on satin/ I love to hit it backwards, Call it Pig Latin…”) atop the seducingly hypnotic instrumental of Fabolous’ Dream-sampling “Bag” remix.

(Or you could simply save a bunch of time by downloading the entire [more often-than-not awesome mixtape] from Nahright.)

DL: “Break Up” (alt)

DL: “Throw It In The Bag (Remix)” (alt)

With the ‘Net world currently immersed in “new Jay-Z = meh” banter (thanks to the like 52 fine, but mostly underwhelming, maybe-or-maybe-not B3 Jigga tracks that have leaked this past week alone), it’s kinda easy to forget that things didn’t look so depressing waaaay back in January when a likable ditty titled “When The Money Goes” mysteriously bubbled onto the Web.

While it took a minute to figure out whether it was the first taste of the Blueprint junior volume or not (it was later revealed to be nothing more than an American Gangster outtake), what we did know was that we immediately liked it. And how could we not? Backed by crisp R&B-like production that honed in on a champagne glass-clinking, “livin’ the good life” luxuriousness, “When The Money Goes” featured Jay delivering a tight and concise narrative based on the tried-and-true “Can I Get A…” concept: “I know you riding with a nigga through the Gucci store/ All through Prada…but what if I had nada?”.

Hey, it sounded like a surefire hit to us. But somewhere along the line, Jay decided that he didn’t need to cater to radio so blatantly (he’d rather play the cantankerous old fogey role and denounce everything the kids liked, whether it be Auto-Tune or allowing Drake his own verse), so he opted on handing off the track elsewhere. Whatever. In the end, it makes for a nice grab for Fabolous, who adopts the “When The Money Goes” concept and beat, laying down three verses that are so sharp, Jay really isn’t even needed beyond the hook duties he’s reduced to here.

Catch the “Money Goes, Honey Stay” clip below, followed by MP3′s of Jay’s unreleased original and a nice “Jamerican Remix” of “Off That” featuring reggae/ dancehall newcomer Atiba:

DL: Jay-Z “When The Money Goes (Original)” (alt)

DL: Jay-Z featuring Drake & Atiba “Off That (Jamerican Remix)” (alt)

This remix to Fabolous & The-Dream‘s excellent collabo “Throw It In The Bag” may not carry the same overwhelming sense of ideal summertime material as the original, but it still has a lot going for it:

1: The beat’s sped-up sampling of The-Dream’s “Fancy” is downright mesmerizing.

2: Featured guest Drake pulls off another solid verse, cleverly flipping Fab’s sugar daddy concept to narrate the benefits of romancing a woman who’s wealthy off a divorce settlement and “probably old enough to be my momma’s friend”. All he asks is that he never comes face-to-face with her 26-year-old son, cause he saw a pic of him and “that nigga look cra-a-a-zy”.

And 3: Fab makes us giggle oh-so-hard every damn time with this winning third verse line: “So money ain’t a thing/ Jay-Z, JD/ Like Jay-Z lady, it’s Beyonceing”. Get it? “Beyond saying”? Oh, you witty rapper you.

Loso’s Way drops July 28th.

DL: “Throw It In The Bag (Remix)” (alt)

What’s the hottest R&B sex jam of the moment? Well, that honor would probably have to fall on “Birthday Sex” by Chicago newcomer Jeremih.

It may not be the most original of it’s ilk-R. Kelly, T-Pain or The-Dream could have all tossed this one out in their sleep, and with better, more-outlandish XXX metaphors than “Girl without a broom I might just sweep you off yo feet/ And make you wanna tell somebody how I do”-but the combination of that sensual groove with it’s titular gift theme has enough going for it to get the mood started.

Of course, some horny-minded rapper would have to bless the remix, and while this would probably be the perfect opportunity for another raunchy Ludacris cameo, it’s Fabolous who jumps on board first, kicking off this 2.0 take with a mean-spirited (but kind-of cool) joke we wouldn’t dare say to any girlfriend (“My shorty called me like ‘You know what’s bout to come-come-come-come’/ I said ‘Your friend, shit, lemme come get some-some-some-some’”) as well as lines about “pussy reservations” and, in what’s disappointingly the lone B.J. reference offered here, the “blow”-ing out of “candles”.

DL: “Birthday Sex (Remix)” (alt)

Every once in awhile a new song emerges that smells like a season-long smash hit based on it’s opening seconds alone. Right now, that record is “Throw It In A Bag”, a collaboration between Fabolous and the ever-ubiquitous The-Dream that firmly plants the duo in their most successful element: female-friendly club jam territory.

The official lead single from Fab’s upcoming fifth (!!) LP, Loso’s Way, “Bag” busts out of the gate oozing summer banger attractiveness thanks to producer Tricky Stewart’s tip-toeing piano lick and trash can stomp, and once Dream enters the frame cooing “I know you ain’t over there staring at my girl” in that addicting featherweight chirp of his, it’s future platinum-certified status is basically a given.

The only question is whether any of today’s struggling, un-employed masses will cry foul over it’s slightly cruel, recession-proof bragging (the song centers on Fab’s endless showering of his girls with expensive gifts, with more than one reference to his dismissal of “price checks”) or if everyone will simply accept it as an ear-candy escape from their real-life troubles?

Loso’s Way is set for a June release.

DL: “Throw It In The Bag” (alt)

It’s nice to see newcomer Jazmine Sullivan‘s name in the running for the Best New Artist Grammy prize, even if her chances of winning seem slim at best (her contenders include more widely-known figures Duffy, Adele and the Jonas Brothers). Still, if she at least gets a chance to bless the stage sometime during the ceremony, she’ll be smart to perform her debut album highlight “Lions, Tigers & Bears”, a magnificent gem of a record that’s sure to prove to the so-far uninitiated why she’s the talk of the modern R&B town.

Now “Bears” is one of those great urban finds that would do better without any hip hop interference at all, but to think it would go untouched in this era of everybody jumping on the hottest cut around would be foolish. So while it’s not exactly surprising to have Fabolous committing an introductory sixteen on this remix, it is a bit shocking to see how decent of a “collaboration” it is.

His casual flow delicately bobbing along to “LT&B”‘s operatic tip-toe, Fabolous admits to fully understanding Jazmine’s philophobic caution (“Niggas be lyin’ tigers and bears”), but he alleviates her “ice grills and jealous stares” with the comforting promise that she needn’t ever worry about the love they share (“No need to question love/ I can just tell it’s there/ ‘Cause when it’s meant to be/ You’ll know eventually”).

Far better than anything Ja Rule and Ashanti ever came up with in their “rap thug-meets-R&B PYT” heyday.

DL: “Lions, Tigers & Bears (Remix)” (alt)

As a bonus, snatch up the dancehall remix of Sullivan’s current hit “Bust Your Windows” produced by Tony Kelly and featuring Ce’Cile below:

DL: “Bust Your Windows (Tony Kelly Dancehall Remix)” (alt)

Fabolous promises that his new album will find him growing as an artist but knowing Loso it’ll be another collection of grandstanding wordplay with big-named R&B hooks and A-list producers in tow. Kind of like what we get on his new single “Make Me Better”, a molasses-flowing invert off of Beyonce’s conceited “Upgrade U” theme.

Fabolous can take any request like “make a song about loving your dog” and come up with an endless amount of clever couplets that everyone would be quoting for months, so when it comes to lyrics you’ll always expect something good from him. The trick here is making something as drowsy as Timbaland’s barely mid-tempo Bollywood atmospherics pop enough for the clubs. The track rocks such a comforting slowed pace that you could find yourself nodding off on the road if you’re not too careful. Deciding to work with the beat instead of against it, Fabo shortens his lines to few words, taking plenty of pauses as he goes on and on about the many ways his girl deserves big-ups. “You plus me/ It equals better math/ Your boy a good look/ But you my better half”, he spits in a Yung Joc-like flow that’s accented with breathy stutters he stole from his boss Hova. Some might be annoyed at his constant female-oriented focus, but the cryptic strings that swing back and forth don’t have the bright R&B colors that would instantly identify this as a cut for the ladies so dudes won’t feel so prissy for liking it.

Assisted by the unwavering high tenor of featured guest Ne-Yo whose reaching Akon-like heights of R&B ubiquity, “Make Me Better” emits a sleepy cool that makes it a solid, albeit different, kind of joint. The rapper feels like he’s holding back a bit, so we’re not getting the usual lyrical bumrush we’re used to from Fabolous but that may just be his version of being artistic and showing “growth”.

Download: Make Me Better