• » Name: Add-2
• » Location: Southside of Chicago
• » Member Since: 01/02/08
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The Random Adventures Of Add-2

"Dear Add-2, I hope you never blow up"

I know I usually try to avoid talking about myself in these blogs but today this was on my mind lol. Friday was the official online release of the new mixtape Tale Of Two's City Vol.2 and the response has been very good, almost to the point where its surprising me. I got alot of support from various sites and alot of people who jumped on board just off the strength that they like the music and the messages in certain songs. The mixtape has been an overall success. Amongst all the good messages/interviews/texts/phone calls I've received one stood out the most...from a fan who said something that made me think twice about where my career goes after this tape. The convo started like this:

 "Yoooo what up Add-2, that mixtape is crazy. I been playing it from track 1 to 21 and its so good to hear somebody actually talking about something. Your flow is on point, the stories all dat shit. I havent got that feeling about an emcee like that in a loooooong while, Lupe was the last one I got excited for like that. Not too many artist are putting effort into it anymore. I know this is going to sound crazy so don't take it the wrong way but I hope you never blow up...."

(pause) So the first thing I'm thinking is 'You ungrateful hating ass bastard, why wouldnt you want me to be successful' but he then explained it perfectly.

"I say that because as soon as artist who have alot of talent get into the spotlight they either change or that hunger dies out. Don't let that shit happen cause you great where you are right now. Thanx for the good music."

I think we've all seen that happen before to some of our favorite artist. When the money comes in, the thing we loved them most for somehow leaves. I remember how 50 cent was one of my favorites, from How To Rob to Power Of The Dollar and of course Get Rich Or Die Tryin' and then when the success came it was a different 50. He was still entertaining in the interviews and him talking shit but rhyme wise I didn't hear the same 50. I still think Lupe was more of a monster back then on the mixtapes and most of my favorite albums from my favorite artists have always been the earlier ones i.e Reasonable Doubt, Illmatic, Doggystyle, One Day It'll all make sense. I know its inevitable that most (not all) artist lose their hunger after they achieve their goals but I'll do my best to maintain the style and what I have now but grow at the same time.... or i can fail miserably and fall off hard and you can blog about how much of a disappointment i am lol

Download the mixtape for free here
http://www.add-2.net/Add-2_Presents_The_Tale_Of_Two%27s_City_Vol2.zip

  

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Either You Die A Hero or Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become the Villain

1st thing 1st, thanx for the support on the song Black Amerikkka and also the mixtape is done and will be available free real soon (21 tracks of fresh concepts/storytelling/spitting). Now to the subject at hand, I was in a typical 'who's the nicest emcee' debate and the cliche phrase came up and you all know which one cause chances are EVERYBODY used it: "If (insert dead rapper or certain era in hip hop) none of this bullshit would be going on". At first I gave my cliche 'Hell yea, you aint never lied' but then I wondered if this was true would that really be the case.

All the rappers we hold as legends who passed were arguably in or near their prime (i.e Biggie, Pac, Big L, Pun, Dilla) and even though we would give up 98% of the music of  today just to hear another album from any of those artist (aside from Pac cause he still dropping more shit dead than some do alive) they left in a way that solidified their positions. You may argue how close to the top they are but are always close to the top. But as the game keeps changing and time goes on, others havent been so lucky to maintain their status. As Dave Chappelle put it, you can get famous but you cant get unfamous you can get infamous but not unfamous.

No lie, DMX used to be one of my heroes, when he first came out barking, growling, threatening to rob, kill and even fuck dead bodies that shit blew me away. As time went on we seen that Dark Man turned out to be just as crazy as he was on the records and was constantly in trouble with the law, impersonating them and trouble fighting his addictions. Camron went from being a rapper with so much potential to being known for silly rhymes and last seen by a pool in his boxers. I watched Prodigy go from being one of the realest who was dropping classics with Mobb Deep to dropping blog videos talking shit about any and everybody. Krs is still doing his thing but he doesnt have the impact he once had. Premo is still one of the illest but he can't get one placement on any of the bigger more successful rappers careers he helped build, how fucked up is that. As much as Nas says their doing an album together im not getting my hopes up. Jay-z drops an album and people are calling him an old head. Every single originally Bad Boy artist is gone and it all had something to do with money and if you are an artist on Bad Boy today its almost like a One album and get shelved type deal and the same goes for Terror Squad. Deathrow is gone. MC Lyte is doing voice over work for BET's show Da Boot. Young MC, Brat, Bizarre were last seen on Celebrity Fit Club and I thought I seen Kid from Kid N Play doing stand up commercials for Sonic's. Not to mention all the other artist who have been swept under a rug as time went on. If Pac, Biggie, Pun or Big L was around they would probably have been subjected to some of the same stuff too, which I'm glad will never happen but as you see it happens to everybody.

I remember seeing Kwame (yea dude with the polka dots) saying rap is like high school, you only got about 4 years to stay in the lime light and after that people start asking why are you still here. Its sad but its kinda true. We dont respect our living legends as much as white folks do The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, U2 or Madonna who tour, make music and still make millions. Seems like Hip Hop artist either fade out or are seen like that guy who graduated who comes back and is hanging outside your class in the hallway. Hopefully this can change and that the legends who are still alive like Tribe, Rakim, Wu Tang, Run Dmc and all the greats from any generation.

 www.myspace.com/add2

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Add-2's Dream Battles

When I heard that Shawty Lo was beefing with T.I my initial reaction was kinda apathetic and went kind like this: “are you fucking serious? …Shawty Lo? Homeboy that be whispering on the songs? Annnnd no one else? Just him? This aint even a fair fight…is that nigga even a rapper?”

Lets be realistic, T.I at his worse still could destroy Shawty L-O at his peak which i believe he has reached. I started thinking bout the other battles that have or could have happened within the last year or so and how they were kinda disappointing. 50 vs Fat Joe (Joey didn’t even put up a fight), Jay-z vs Jim Jones or even worse Jay vs Soulja Boy & The Wizards and lastly Wayne bitching out from Gillie, 50 and The Clipse. The only people who really bodied niggas was Joe Budden abusing Ransom for 8 mins on two tracks and Royce Da 5’9 demolishing Mistah Fab.

So in the light of the playoffs (its gonna be the Lakers vs Celtics in the end) I thought of my own battles I like to see that I feel would be a little more balanced in my mind. (note: this list aint finalized. Hit me up at www.myspace.com/add2 and we can debate it)

Beat Battle

Hi-Tek vs 9th Wonder - Two of the best yet not quite mainstream producers. Hi Tek has always been one of my favorite since Reflection Eternal and 9th since The Listening. Both have made some hip hop classics and produced for some mainstream artists.

Add-2's prediction: (still debating) 

 

Timbaland vs Polow da don - To both their credit they’ve made me listen to people I normally wouldn’t listen to. They can flip both original and samples but their originals have been better than alot of cats sampled beats.

Add-2's prediction: Timbaland, not to say that Polow may not be where Tims at in a few years but when Timbaland wanna kill shit he can (even some of the pop stuff been kinda ill...not that madonna shit tho)

Premo vs Dilla - This one was suggested by one of my homies. Its not necessarily fair considering Dilla is gone but as everyone knows these are possibly the most loved/appreciated hip hop producers period (i'd throw Pete Rock in that category as well). If you need further explanation on either, please refer to their extensive classic discography asap (you will be glad you did).

Add-2's Prediction: If I had no other choice and HAD to pick one....damn....i guess I'd roll with Dilla.

 

 

Kanye vs Just Blaze - Not too long ago I seen Just Blaze go song for song with Swizz and I thought he kilt it completely with his Rocafella catalogue alone. I always had a hard time deciding who outshined who on Blueprint and then with their later work. Just got better high energy shit but kanye got that soulful shit that you can just listen to over and over.

Add-2's Prediction: (still debating)

(couldnt really think of anybody who could honestly match up with Pharrell's versatility)

Black Thought vs Mos Def - Brilliant conceptual thinkers with a dope consistent flow. Mos has been away making movies while Thought is still fighting the uphill battle of trying to achieve that level we all think The Roots could be on.

Predicition: Mos, even thought they have similar patterns I think Mos has more charisma than Thought.

Jeezy vs Rick Ross - The trapstar versus the boss. Can't say i'm a big fan of either but they have their moments. When Jeezy got at Gucci Mane it was pure comedy (the end of the song was hilarious) and when Ross was throwing shots at TI he was talking about all the stuff Shawty Lo talking bout now.

Joe Budden vs Fabolous - The logical choice against Joe Budden's 356,934,034,528 bars would be somebody like Game or maybe Crooked I who can match him bar for bar but I was thinking about who has been able to keep up with him as far as impact goes with punchlines. Each song they have been on together with others has been pretty much a competition between which out of the two kill the song more.

Prediction: Joey, I know some of the world still think of him as just for Pump It Up but over the years he has got into a few battles like with Game, 50 cent and Jay-z and lyrically i thought he sent some pretty good shots even tho no one really responded to him.

Busta Rhymes vs Ludacris - Obviously both are animated and can spit in different styles and arguably kill every remix they been on. Busta kilt Ja Rule on that last verse with Em and Fif and Luda shitted on TI at the end of that Young Buck joint.

Prediction: (still debating)

Nas & Az vs Jadakiss & Styles P - Other than MOP these are some of the few people who can split bars and share verses and it never gets old. I cant think of anybody else who can compliment each other better (i think another good combination is Jay, Facemob and Beans). From Styles and Kiss going back n forth on how they would hawk you with the knife to Az and Nas talking about being the flyest gangsta's each create the perfect tag team on a song.

Prediction: Styles and Jada, even though i'm a bigger Nas/AZ fan I think at this point Jada and Styles are better in tune with eachother.

Lupe vs ??? - I really would love to see him in a battle but I honestly cant think of anyone who could be considered on his level. Thats just being honest.

Again if you got some suggestions or someone who may better fit let me know on the myspace cause I wanted to put 3000, Jay, Cube, Rakim, KRS and some others in

www.myspace.com/add2

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The Anti-Bullshit Coalition

Lately, I've come to terms with the fact I have 'Back in my days' syndrome, just how my father would tell me 'Boy that shit them niggas is making aint music, thats just noise...Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie, Marvin...thats real music' I have become as well. I almost had a heart attack when someone told me Shawty Lo album is killing the streets right now (a statement i will never take serious, ever in life). Every day i been arguing with my manager and other artists about whats wack and why its wack but apparently there's not a consensus. At first I thought maybe its just me, maybe i'm not giving them the proper chance and i'm expecting too much out of new artist...but then i thought again cause this shit is bullshit but niggas is making a million and one excuses for why they won't call it what it is.

 1. Just cause you live what you're rapping about doesn't mean you can rap. Point Blank Period. Birdman can pop bottles all day and night but should he be the one rapping...HELL NO. Take that bullshit somewhere else

2. Not everyone is a rapper or should be on a track...or on stage. Everybody rap, everybody got a mixtape, everybody got a myspace and they all think they hot. BULLSHIT. Some people need to invest in other talents they might have like bagging groceries or fixing engines in that driveway you call a shop. If you're the ceo of the label be the ceo of the label, the only one who needs to be seen is Diddy and thats cause Bad Boy is pretty much just Diddy anyway so if he out there them niggas dont exist. Dj Kahled has no reason to be on the track, from what i gather he doesnt produce the beats, he just gets the same people together for a song, we dont need his annoying ass screaming 'WE THE BESSST WHO? WEEEEE'. Another thing bringing every member of your crew on stage and all of em just stand there is a waste.

3. Freestyles - First off i would like to thank Crooked I for reviving freestyles because for a loooong time it had just been gradually getting worse. At one point back in the day when you heard a freestyle it was a good chance that the artist was about to kill it or flip it in a way you would wanna hear it over and over (i.e Eminem over the Mobb Deep joint). But now its just the same ol same ol bullshit about guns and drugs in the same flow. Someone sent this to me cause they knew it would piss me off, apparently Soulja Boy is also doing his own version of Hiphop weekly except he puts up a new freestyle when enough people play his shit (so im conflicted in spreading it, cause if you play it he'll make another and thus continuing the Bullshit). This shit is embarassing "In the club the hoes screaming Soulja Boy/ we dont give a fuck i'm riding in a toyota"...wtf?

4. Hating and being real - Everybody aint hating and even in hating there's some sense of truth in it. To me hating is when a nigga shit on you just cause. But if someone is rapping off beat and you say 'Yo fam...u rapping off beat' then that just means yo sloppy ass was all over the track.

5. Real Hip Hop - This is something i feel is necessary to say real hip hop music has to step it up if we want to erase some of the garbage thats going on. Lupe, Wale and Blu cant do it by  themselves. We can't be rapping like 'methphorical cataclismic rhythmic sonic bubonic plague rages inside of my body like Aids' and expect the masses to embrace it.

Great Moment in Anti-Bullshit History: "your life is played out like Kwame and them fuckin Polka Dots" Biggie

So i encourage all of yall to join the Anti-Bullshit Coalition, if its BULLSHIT start being unapologetic about it. If you're a stan, have enough sense to believe that the person you worshipping is not perfect. Talented emcee's time to step the game up. And if your a grown man playing Dance Dance Revolution....stop it immediately

www.myspace.com/add2

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I'm A Beast!!!!...nah, just stop Kels

Its a crazy time in hip hop right now with everybody buzzing about Papoose/Fat Joe and 50 Cent (apparently no one gives a damn about the fake ass reunion Dru Hill had staged and failed) but what managed to catch my attention during this season of drama was R. Kelly's silly ass diss to Ne-yo and some other people anonymous people

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/audio/id.4382/title.r-kelly-im-a-beast-ne-yo-diss

Being from chicago, we stood by Kels through alot of shit...I mean ALOT of shit from when he married Aaliyah knowing she was underaged, to pissing on the underaged chick, to plotting and fucking his long time friend George Daniels daughter (that shit was just foul), from saying that osama was the only person who could relate to him, dropping gangsta ass r&b songs and then turning around and doing a gospel album. But after listening to this shit i really had to face reality that this nigga is "crazier than a fish with titties" and is going through an identity crisis and has lost whatever mind he had.

First off this song is awful, aint no punchline to that. Sometimes you just gotta be real with yourself. I should of know what i was in for when this nigga came on screaming like this was Braveheart. Of course i was scratching my head thinking what the hell does a r&b diss sound like? in all cases...not good and this was no different. The song is 3 verses of garbage and comedy. What makes it worse is the fact that he's rapping with so much passion and the words is wack as fuck.

"...You need a steering wheel the way you riding my dick BOY!!!!!
Saying you's a go getter, go get your own SHIT BOY!!!!!!!!!!
(then he goes on this off beat ass rant)
"what is it gonna take for you muthafuckas to understand i'm a r&b boss
kels think he a rap...NAH im just tryna get my point across"

 "keep rising to the top, keep getting that money
keep laughing at you clowns cause you clowns is funny"

the ending line is just infamous as hell
"so dont think this is a song, its a taste of my wrath
Back to ya, nervous nigga, I got a dick and a half I'M A BEAST!!!"

So to whoever let him record and leak this shitty ass song...thank you cause that shit is hilarious. Now imma go back and listen to some classic R.Kelly and maybe figure where this nigga went wrong cause this aint the same genius who cd's was/still is being used as the 'i-know-im-getting-laid -tonight' soundtrack

On behalf of my chicago brethren I would like to apologize for the entire Trapped In The Closet series, the Make It Rain Verse, I'm In Love With A Stripper Verse, Same Girl Remix, Real Talk (plus the video), That Goddamn Zoo song and any other infamous ass kels appearance since the pissing video

 

www.myspace.com/add2

Tale Of Two's City Vol.2: The Return Of The Menance Coming Soon

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Daaaaamn Homey: 2008 Fall Off List

The other day me and my homey was arguing about emcee's, rappers and singers and as the conversation turned into a debate...and later an argument. First off, i'm a true school hip hop head born in the mid 80's but raised in the 90's (sidenote: just cause you were born in the 80's does not make you a 80's baby, especially if you cant remember any of it lol)  and he's a fanatic for the newer stuff which off the top is a set up for a bad debate. For a minute i thought that maybe i had caught the dreaded old man 'back in my day' syndrome....but then i rethought that shit and realized that alot of shit now still couldnt hold a torch to freestyle from Big L. And to be fair, no one stays consistent forever, eventually we all reach our primes and then fall the fuck off so i'll try to be as honest as possible cause i know we wont agree on all of this but fuck it who cares. It aint about hits i'm talking about the distance between them and their prime lyrically. IF ANYONE HAS ANY SONGS/EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE STILL IN THEIR PRIME PLEASE BY ALL MEANS SHARE AND I WILL GLADLY CHECK IT OUT AND EVEN TAKE BACK MY STATEMENT IF IM WRONG. ALSO WHATS YOUR 2008 FALL OFF LIST????

 

Fat Joe - Seems like an easy target cause he's been taking alot shit since he flipped sides and became the fat bald ass albino version of wayne without the punchlines. Some people may say 'when was he ever tight lyrically?' well it had to be around the time when Pun was still alive (if he was writing it or not is up for you to decide). Its hard to even believe that this is the same guy who did 'This Shit Is Real' produced by the legendary Preemo. I will say this his ear for beats is still pretty good, but the lyrics is ri-goddamn-diculous, the subject matter is simply...crack (not in the good way). A few weeks ago i seen a video with him demanding respect as one of the top rappers alive but its hard to get that title when you dont write your own lyrics. To sum it up Joey needs some better ghostwriters.

 

Lloyd Banks - Banks use to be the best cat on the mixtape scene and when 50 just got on aftermath he was the biggest problems out there following him. He had his own style and voice plus he had skills and with 50 there to help he was able to make good songs as well. After the Rotten Apple dropped to deaf ears and G-Unit now up against the ropes and Buck being the favorite its hard to really see where this leaves Banks. Plus after he let Game just abuse him without really saying much back makes me further wonder what the hell happened?

Snoop Dogg - He was once one of my childhood heroes and what sold Snoop honestly has always been his charisma and how he said stuff i.e '80 degrees when i tell that bitch please, raise up off these N-U-T's cause you gets none of these, at ease, as i mob with the dogg pound feel the breeze'. I guess i really should have stop expecting classic work especially after the No limit Snoop or the infamous '2+2 = 4, this the type shit that last forever more' snoop. In his defense, Sexual Eruption was dope and one of the most creative videos and at this point Snoop is so recognizable that he doesnt need to say anything on records for it to be a hit. Gon head and make that money snoop!!!

Papoose - Maaaaaaaaaan this nigga disappointed me, i could of sworn after Alphabet Slaughter and Charades (2 was dope too) and even the mainstream exposure on Touch It remix that he was on his way to being one of the most thought provoking emcees but then somewhere between getting signed and dropped i started hearing a new papoose, one that i aint really care to listen to. When i first heard 'Fitted Hat Low' i aint believe it. I still think he has enough time to rebound if he got another 'Black Democrat' freestyle in em and that maybe this is just a 'Oochie Wally' phase.

Lil Wayne - Before all the stans take a minute to jump off his dick to throw stones at a nigga i'd say to be honest for a second. There was once a time when wanye damn near killed everything he was on, hell after the 'Show Me What You Got' and 'Taking Ova' freestyle and the dedication mixtapes it made me think that maybe wayne his claim as best rapper wasnt too far off. But then came oversaturation (which can work but at the same time it can hurt you), then came the recycled and basic lines (im on like the television) and then came the singing (i heard he's coming out with an r&b cd too, no joke). His cameos are still enough to give anybody a hit record but i havent heard a wayne verse that made me say run that shit back since the freestyle over the Jay-z joint. If you have any verses that he kilt as of recently (and he's not singing) please comment cause i will gladly check it out.

Nelly - Its not that i'm really waiting on a Nelly record i'm just wondering where the hell did that nigga go? He wifed up Ashanti and hasn't really made any good music since (it dates further back before this but for argument sake we'll settle on once ashanti came). This isnt a lyrical fall off like the other ones cause Nelly was more of a party song rapper but his presence is completely missing especially considering how much of a mainstream artist he was. 

 Consistency awards - Some of the few who have been killin every verse for years
Common
Black Thought
Elzhi
 

 And the THAT SHIT SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN DONE AWARD goes to.............NAACP for giving that wack ass Tyler Perry show House of Payne any award, the show is awful and if thats the standard of entertaining Black television then we all going to hell

Again this isnt a list of who's still selling records, who's still in the public eye. This is a emcee's list of ppl who i felt fell off lyrically. Whats your list cause i know i missed out on a bunch

www.myspace.com/add2

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The 1st Random Adventure Of Add-2 will be...

What up yall, its Add-2, i'm here to let yall know a little bit about the new blog we're about to start with HiphopDX. For those who aren't familiar with the old blog please take a minute to go to (myspace.com/add2) i usually comment on Hip Hop culture and everything else in between from the things we celebrate down to the things that annoy us (i.e every rapper sounding like wayne or DJ Khaled voice over any track...that shit annoys the hell out of me for real). Each blog will have a video with it of me going out and spitting a verse to unsuspecting people in theeeee most craziest situations you could think of and leaving without explaining myself. Why? Well I really dont have a real legitimate reason and i really dont feel like pretending as if this shit is a social experiment or something cause its not, its just fun. A real emcee taking it back to the basics.

Since we're still editing the first one, i felt like its only right to let the readers out there decide what you'd rather see as opposed to seeing some shit you dont wanna (you can watch BET if you wanna do that). So we will count all the comments and whichever one has the highest we will roll with OR if you have a real dope suggestion by all means suggest it and we will try to have it done by next week or the following (God willing we dont get arrested, sued or peppersprayed in the process). So comment and i'll see yall next week with some random shit. Peace

oh yea check out the new track "Add-2 - Lights Out" on HipHopDX

PORNO SHOP - Every town has them, every person has seen them and we've all seen the people walking in and out the stores trying to be as lowkey as possible. We plan on running up on whoevers in the store and rap to them for no good reason

PSYCHIC FRIENDS - Go to an old fashion pyschic and see if she knows what type of verse i'm gonna spit before i spit it.

CAN I GET A RIDE - Its a known fact that most white folks in the suburbs and towns leave their cars open. Well what if they came back from groccery shopping and found a nigga in the back of their minivan? Hopefully they dont call the cops lol



See yall in a week or so

and just to give yall something extra, figure i'd lace yall with some random ass shit i found not too long ago. MR.T KILLIN IT!!!!! LOL

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