Live and direct I don’t need no mic check. Remember mommy told me Peedi, you ain’t write that. It started in the bathroom taking a dump, listening to Ultramagnetic ego trippin’ you won’t…Pressure my word I’m the urban version of you chump. Stomped on a different ground, sound second to none. Synthesizers tweet to improvise your feet, I calculated every lyric to arrive on a beat. It’s free, come get high on me before a nine millimeter shell hit my Pelle Pelle on the “P”. Yeah it’s somethin in the water where I come from. They used to sing it on the corner where I come from. Making something outta nothing because everybody fifty cent away from a quarter yo where I come from.It’s just a natural reaction for Crakk to make it happen let the pen ink sink, into the paper of the pad think…Back when I was younger, ghetto could have took me under but Peedi can’t mess with North Philly never had. You don’t know about me, You ain’t stroll my streets. Look familiar, I feel ya longtime no see. —Peedi Peedi “Long Time” from The Roots Game Theory (2006)JigsawMOP “Live From Ground Zero””MOP is one of the best groups ever. For a long time, their grade of music was an outlet for my anger and rage. Wait…it still is. The concept of “ground zero” can be taken many ways. The U.S. government has theirs, MOP has theirs and I have mine. (The heavy metal ending of the song isn’t in the original version, but it is so appropriate.”DoveJamie Jones f/ Rasheeda & B.O.B. “Mistletoe” This gem from Mr. Collipark’s new Christmas EP is my holiday pick of 2007. Not only is Jamie Jones’ voice as smooth as warm apple cider, Rasheeda holds it down on the rap side (don’t sleep on Rasheeda, she’s dope.) and B.O.B. (a former AHH Breeding Ground pick, now signed to Atlantic Records) breaks in for a nice bassy chorus at the end. Beat by Collipark… lovely.ODeiselMagnum Dollars f/ Sean P “Unbreakable”
Winner of the DuckDown contest, Magnum Dollars came with the Magnum force for this collabo. Hope to see more from him.Jamile KaroutEazy-E ft. Will 1x (will.i.am) “Merry Muthaf****n’ Xmas” This alternative to your average Christmas jam dropped during a big year for Gangsta Rap (1992). With the pressure on to clean up the lyrics, Eazy-E gave us the holidays Compton style to remind us that we were a long way from “Christmas in Hollis”. An almost sacrelige tribute to one of the holiest holidays, I’m sure Eazy got his Gangsta Wings in Hip-Hop Heaven for this one.Kathy IandoliTLC “Sleigh Ride”This song is my favorite Christmas song ever. It’s a feel good song about caring and sharing TLC-style. R.I.P. Left EyeAquaElla Fitzgerald “Sleigh Ride”It’s Ella Fitzgerald.