The Witzard

"I'm the poster child for alleged drug dealers. These n***as mention my name with their little rumors and their little jewelers. That's no threat, that's no sweat," former Virginia Beach drug dealer and Clipse emcee Pusha T ferociously rhymes on his latest solo single; a Dr. Dre -sanctioned freestyle over Meek Mill 's "R.I.C.O," which notoriously kick-started Mill and Drake 's ghostwriter allegation-slinging beef. For the record, whether he in fact endorses and makes use of ghostwriters or not, Drake 's rapid-released double-header "Back to Back" and "Charged Up" absolutely slayed and effectively obliterated Meek Mill 's abysmal retaliation diss, "Wanna Know." "Real money ain't shy. No, lay it out... get a tan on it. They say numbers don't lie. Well, dope boy, put your bands on it," Kanye 's "Runaway" protégé poignantly rhymes elsewhere on "R.I.C.O," whic...

"We're trying not to think too much in a cartoon sense, but more just like a psychedelic, otherworldly type of thing. If you want to draw a parallel, maybe think of what The Beatles did with Yellow Submarine ," Chad Hugo , one half of hit-making production team The Neptunes , recently told Variety about their forthcoming work on The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water . "Squeeze Me," which was released online Friday afternoon, is the first track accredited to N*E*R*D since their 2010 group album, Nothing ; Hugo, Pharrell , and Shay Haley 's critically-acclaimed Funk-Rock fusion side-band has remained largely inactive over the past 4-5 years since its release. While Pharrell seemingly confirmed that N*E*R*D 's "nature-based" fourth album has been in-the-works since around 2013, nothing of any magnitude has yet materialized. But to their credit, "Squeeze Me" is a jangly Caribbean -infused track that's likely comparable to...

"Jesus Christ, #LunchMoney make me wanna sucker-punch 14 Elk in the nose. Might be my fav @PUSHA_T backdrop since #Trill or #RideAroundShinin ," Tonight Show bandleader @questlove exuberantly Tweeted. Former Clipse emcee Pusha T is supposedly holed up in the studio with Pharrell/The Neptunes , Kanye, and rookie producer Hudson Mohawke , earnestly working on the follow-up to his impeccable solo debut, My Name Is My Name (2013), tentatively titled "King Push." Early Tuesday morning without any prior rhyme or reason, a new thumping Kanye -produced track appeared on Google Play all of a sudden, which quickly disappeared; it was later premiered on Funkmaster Flex 's radio show and soon thereafter, spread like wildfire across The Internet. " Kanye 's best for ["Lunch Money"] is a gurgling, lurching soup of confusing, disorienting sounds, but all those sounds are built around a very basic, very funky pulse," Stereogum's very o...

Pharrell arguably had one of the most successful years of his career last year with the combined mega-success of "Get Lucky," "Blurred Lines," and countless other chart-topping hits. Late Tuesday night, news broke that Pharrell 's long-rumored second solo album, now titled G I R L will see a March 3-4th release. Pharrell himself described the album as "the difference between [age] 30 and 40" during a career-spanning Complex interview and in stark contrast with both In My Mind (2006) and N*E*R*D , G I R L will supposedly feature "no rapping" whatsoever. While I've always thought Pharrell was a pretty impressive rapper-producer, he's a damn awesome singer and hook-man, as well. "Happy," the first single of the album's 10 currently untitled tracks, is a prime example of Skateboard P 's singing chops; it was originally composed for the Despicable Me 2 soundtrack and almost functions as a modern day all-a...

Pharrell has long surpassed anyone's expectations who previously pigeon-holed him as a Snoop Dogg & Jay-Z- affiliated Neptunes producer, on-and-off Funk-Rock N*E*R*D frontman, or mere smooth-voiced hookman; he single-handedly co-fronted 2 of the summer's biggest mega-hits, "Get Lucky" and "Blurred Lines" (but you already know that much). Pharrell has recently started flexing his original soundtrack/composer chops as well, working on the original Despicable Me , it's sequel Despicable Me 2 , and a rumored Amazing Spider-Man 2 super-score with composer Hans Zimmer , Mike Einzinger (Incubus), former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr , and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics). Fresh on the heels of Bob Dylan 's inter-active "Like a Rolling Stone" video, Pharrell and directing team We Are from LA unleashed the world's very first 24-hour music video for Despicable Me 2 single, "Happy" online Thursday-Friday. It reportedly feature...

Although he doesn't even make an appearance until about 2:35 into "Shame The Devil," No Malice 's new track marks the long-awaited reunion with his brother and former Clipse partner in crime, Pusha T ; It's the first unofficial Clipse track since Gene & Terrence Thornton parted ways some 3-4 years ago to embark on separate solo careers. Since signing to Kanye 's sprawling G.O.O.D. Music (DONDA) label/art-haus, Pusha T has largely kept in the same Coke Rap lane that Clipse pioneered back in the mid-90's; while Malice reportedly found religious solace, became a slightly more socially-conscious rapper, and for whatever reason, changed his emcee handle to "No Malice." These inner-band issues or creative differences are dually addressed on "Shame The Devil:" " Gene [Malice] found God, they thinking we at odds / Must ain't know my father, he ain't never spared a rod / Yuugh! It's two sides to a card / Just ...

No matter, how old I get, Black Flag and The Neptunes (N*E*R*D) will always be amongst my first favourite artists. While I deeply love and appreciate their separate outputs, Pharrell & Henry Rollins are 2 of the last guys I'd ever figure would get along. With that said, Rollins and Pharrell get along like a couple reunited long-lost friends; Reserve Channel & Noisey recently uploaded a 2-part sit-down interview/conversation between the 2 prolific artists. Born and raised on the East Coast between DC and Richmond , Henry Rollins (52) and Pharrell (40) quickly bonded over the shared D.I.Y. nature of their Hip-Hip/Punk roots and early projects. Part 1, hosted by ARTST TLK , covers everything from Black Flag , weight lifting, the advent of Grunge , Regan -era tattoos, spoken word, sobriety, etc. Prenatal Hardcore fans should start out with Rollins' first Black Flag album, Damaged right on through to their sixth and final album, In My Head (1986). Might as we...

Pusha T is 1/2 of Clipse , which was basically 2 drug fiends-turned-rappers poetically bragging about their assorted exploits over The Neptunes' glitched out production work. Malice changed his name to No Malice last year, found religion, published a book called "Wretched, Pitiful, Poor, Blind & Naked," and decided to peruse a solo career... Right around the same time that his brother, Pusha T inked a deal with G.O.O.D. Music (2010-11). Under Kanye 's frantic direction, he soon released Fear of God [mixtape] and it's re-packaged companion EP, Fear of God II: Let Us Pray . I must admit, while I had a Neptunes phase and really got into Hell Hath No Fury/Til The Casket Drops , I haven't delved too far into Pusha T 's solo material. He's also been featured prominently on Kanye's recent projects, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010) and label comp. Cruel Summer (2012). Serving as an audio palate cleanser/teaser for his upcoming d...

First off, I have to give credit where credit is due: Thanks, Mishka Bloglin for turning me onto OG Dutch Master this weekend! (shouts to David C. ) Before even hearing a lick of his music, I was almost instantly reminded of Golden Age Hip-Hop household names like Grandmaster Flash , Biz Markie, Digital Underground , Puff Daddy, Run-D.M.C. etc. based solely off that goofy/AWESOME stage name. There's very little background info online to go along with OG Dutch Master's currently brief discography. But the East Baltimore native's roughly 19-20 and rolls with 7th Floor Villains [LL7FV]. It basically sounds like the "desert island" playlist for a recovering 90's Hip-Hop absorbed Hipster 20-something, ha. OG Dutch Master 's latest output, "Raw Dope" was released right around DOOMSDAY Dec. 21st and features a vocal riff pulled from Fiona Apple 's comeback single, "Every Single Night" (2012). Up-and-coming producer Mohlz ...

mash-up [ mash -uhp] noun 1. Music, Slang . a recording that combines vocal and instrumental tracks from two or more recordings. 2. Slang . a creative combination or mixing of content from different sources: movie mash-ups; a Web mash-up that overlays digital maps with crime statistics. (Dictionary) For all intensive purposes, the genre was formed in an effort to express 21st Century youths' interpretation of "The Remix." Usually composed by college frat dudes eager fans from their desktop computers. Mash-Ups have become increasing more and more note-able since the early 2000's; with Popular artists including Girl Talk , Danger Mouse , "The Beastles," Dean Grey , and Max Tannone , amongst other DJ's. Since it's inception, the genre has become increasing legitimized as time passes, thanks to Creative Commons [licenses]. Right around 2004, New York -based DJ Reset released "Frontin' On Debra," his premier release... as well as...

This very Thanksgiving Day , much to fan delight, Lupe Fiasco liberated what has become a "lost album," of sorts: Friend of The People . The companion album mixtape to Enemy of The State (2009), which was scheduled to be released that coming Christmas holiday... until Fiasco decided to climb Mount Everest with Jessica Biel and then boyfriend, Justin Timberlake . The final released product seems to be a re-mixed and re-furbished version, as many of the sampled tracks [freestyles] weren't even out in 2009-10. That being said: Justice, Coltrane, M83, Ellie Goulding , and Skrillex originals are effectively sampled and "MURDERED" within the sonic confines of Friend of The People's 12 tracks. In addition to 2 separate audio sound bites pulled from Justice 's recent Audio, Video, Disco ... "Life, Death & Love from San Francisco" is yet another track of particular interest; Lupe Fiasco laces aggressive rhymes over an edited chunk of A Lov...

18-year-old Simmie ("Buddy") Sims is a FRESH Compton -bred rhymesmith; One of the premier editions to Pharrell's newly-formed up-start label, i am OTHER . Sims has already managed to lace up a beat or 2 from the master chiefs themselves, Pharrell & Chad Hugo: The Neptunes . Legend has it that late one fateful evening, music supervisor/friend, Scott Verner randomly strolled on through "Star Trak Studios." Verner proceeded to show Pharrell a self-produced music video of a FRESH, up-and-comer, Buddy [then 16]... brutally massacring Craig Mack - "Flava In Ya Ear" (Instrumental) . Skateboard P. was reportedly so blown away, that he instantly set up a meeting with Buddy a mere few days later. Right off the bat, Pharrell saw something "special" within the young rapper, offered to become his mentor, imminently inked a recording contract... and the rest, as they say, is history [in the making]! Buddy's debut single, "Awesome Awe...

Honesty is key in life, blogging, and music. With that said, I've been a moderate fan of Aubrey "Drake" Graham since the beginning; Keeping up to date with his assorted releases, for the most part... But I must admit, I strongly favor a handful of songs over the bulk of Drake 's backcataloged entries. I just wish that Mr. Graham would either stick with rapping or run with singing R&B stylings - As I, and other fans, would then indeed garner a lot more respect for him as an artist. From the looks of this newly-released Lamar Taylor & Hyghly Alleyne -directed video, it seems as though Drake has fully embraced a SWAGGER -filled "Rap" persona, as of late. Excluding "Over" (2010), "Headlines" is by far the strongest original Drake composition I've heard since So Far Gone 's break-out hit, "Best I Ever Had" (2009). Universal Republic is pushing this hard-hitting Boi-1da/Noah "40" Shebib -crafted ban...