Getting Back into things...

What's good to all in the Backpack!  I took a little time off to go live but guess what... I'm BACK!  I plan on putting out plenty of new material soon including album reviews, personal Mack words, and much more.  Until then, review some of my old posts and anticipate my new ones...

Still The Most Interesting Man

T.I. Interview with Jamie Foxx

T.I.P. sits down with Jamie Foxx  for a candid interview that talks about everything from the new album to
women to Easter Egg Hunts.  Good to see The King back on his grind.  His new mixtape "Fuck A Mixtape" releases Thursday and promises to be crazy! Enjoy

John Wall On NBA Draft Lottery

With the Washington Wizards winning the NBA Draft Lottery, the countdown to the June 24th 2010 NBA Draft Lottery. The overall expected first pick is John Wall and ESPN Reporter Andy Katz was with John Wall after the lottery to get his feedback.

Lil Wayne Calls In From Jail

Apparently, Young Tunechi is doing well despite his incarcerated status.  DJ Scoob Doo recently released footage of a phone call between himself of Young Money CEO Lil Wayne from prison.  Wayne told us that he is doing well "I'm In The Penthouse Suite... Wit My Feet Up".  He also urges Scoob Doo to released the video for Steady Mobbin and explains his recent incident inside that got him hemmed up. 

Let Me Take You Out: Bryan J (Feat. Travis Porter)

This week's release of Travis Porter's "Proud To Be A Problem" mixtape hosted by DJ Teknikz is the Atlanta trio's latest update in the Travis Porter movement.  Here is the latest video from the aforementioned mixtape.  The song is Let Me Take You Out by Trick Stewart's Redzone Records artist Bryan J. and features TP in their normal fun-filled spirits.  This could be a good summer hit for the radios.

Bryan J. (Feat. Travis Porter) - Let Me Take You Out


Off Travis Porter's Proud To Be A Problem

The Statement - Wiz Khalifa

Recently Wiz Khalifa, The Pittsburgh Prince, released a video for his song "The Statement" off of the mixtape "Kush & Orange Juice" released last month.  With the recent inflow of new Fans of Wiz, young Khalifa takes the time make a statement to all regarding both who he is and why you love him.  The video has a laid back yet dramatic effect to it which allows it to properly accompany the flow and feel of the track.  Do enjoy!

Wiz Khalifa - The Statement


Off Kush & Orange Juice

T.I.'s first public interview since his release

T.I.'s interview on Larry King Live



I'm riding with ya TIP.

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Guess Who's Home...? Burrrrrrrrr

At around midnight last night... Radric "Gucci Mane" Davis was released from Fulton County Jail.  Upon release, walked out to a mob of reporters and photographers who anxiously awaited the world's first glimpse at Gucci. Sporting his 1017 Brick Squad Chain and dressed in all black, Gucci came forward with the walk of a boss and delivered his statement on the state of Gucci Mane and his company Brick Squad Entertainment. Below is the video:



With the release of Gucci Mane, T.I., and the anticipation of Jeezy's latest album... Summer 2010 is about to be ridiculous!

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New Jeezy... Lose My Mind (ft. Plies)

Jeezy - Lose My Mind (ft. Plies)

Lil Wayne... Single Music Video

Lil Tune may be away for a bid but that doesn't mean work ceases... Just recently released, here is Lil Wayne's Studio Performance off the No Ceilings Mixtape.... Single




From the DVD The Nino Brown Story Part 2. See the full DVD at:

http://musiconplay.net/28/01/2010/lil-wayne-the-nino-brown-story-part-2-full/

New Amerykah Part Two: The Return of the Ankh

With the release of New Amerykah Part Two: The Return Of The Ankh, fans of the eclectic Badu are in for a true treat.  For this album, Erykah Badu returns to a more personal and love inspired direction for the soulful songstress's 5th studio album.  With first single Window Seat receiving notoriety for it's provocative nature, Badu shows that with the return of the Ankh, a revitalization of Badu also accompanies.

The album opens with the track 20 Feet Tall in which Badu suggest that she is somewhat incomplete now.  The song encourages her to recover from a love lost.  With lyrics like "If I get off my knees I might recall... I'm 20 feet tall" set to the emotionally charged production of Badu herself with the assistance of 9th Wonder, the stage is set for a highly emotional maze that peers into the very soul of Badu.  This also becomes the perfect bridge for the album's first single, Window Seat. Much like it's preceding track, Badu rides to the production of herself and James Poyser amidst heavy live instrumentation.  In Window Seat, Erykah suggest the stresses of life and love drive her to desire a break from it all just to get away and recover.  The video that accompanies Window Seat has been met with many controversial remarks, to say the least.  The video (Shown Below) is an interesting one to say the least as it shows Badu removing her clothes while walking through the streets of Dallas only to be assassinated in the end at the same site that former President JFK was shot and killed.  Digressing from this hot and sensitive matter, Badu goes on to keep the momentum built by the first tracks throughout the duration of the album.  With feel good tracks like Turn Me Away (Get Munny) and Umm Hmm as well as more mischievous tracks such as You Loving Me (Session) and Fall In Love (Your Funeral) it is evident that Erykah Badu has a lot of fun with her tracks and is able to create a great balance in her depiction of the imbalance that love can create in ones life.  With the Return of the Ankh, life and the enjoyment of it also return.  All in all, another great album from Miss Badu!

Production: 5 out of 5
Concept: 5 out of 5
Lyrics: 4 out of 5
Re-playability: 4 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Overall: 4.2 out of 5
 
ALBUM CREDITS

	New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)	Executive production: Erykah Badu, Mike Chavaria Art direction: Erykah Badu, Kyledidthis Design: Erykah Badu Project management and marketing: Paul Levatino (for Badu World), Xavier Jernigan (for Universal Motown) A&R: Edward Richardson Mixing: Tim Soares, Chris Bell Illustrations: EMEK Studios (Emek & Gan) Typography inspiration: Alfredo Gray
1	"20 Feet Tall"	Produced by Erykah Badu and 9th Wonder Embodies portions of "My Darling Baby" by Wood Brass & Steel
2	"Window Seat"	Produced by Erykah Badu and James Poyser
3	"Agitation"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Shafiq Husayn of SA-RA Creative Partners Contains a sample of "Just As I Thought" by David Sancious
4	"Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Karriem Riggins Karriem Riggins (drums), Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner (bass), James Poyser (keys), Tommy Trajlio (guitar), Mike "Chav" Chavarria (mooger fooger) Contains an interpolation of "You Can't Turn Me Away", by Sylvia Striplin
5	"Gone Baby, Don't Be Long"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Ta'Raach Contains a sample of "Arrow Through Me" by Wings
6	"Umm Hmm"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib Contains a sample of "Take Some Time" by Ndugu & The Chocolate Jam Co.
7	"Love"	Produced by Erykah Badu and J Dilla Contains a portion of "Take Me" by Fabulous Souls
8	"You Loving Me (Session)"	Produced by Erykah Badu
9	"Fall in Love (Your Funeral)"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Karriem Riggins Contains a sample of "Intimate Friends" by Eddie Kendricks
10	"Incense"	Produced by Erykah Badu and Madlib Kirsten Agnesta (harp)
11	"Out My Mind, Just in Time"	Part 1: Produced by Erykah Badu James Poyser (keys) Part 2 & 3: Produced by Erykah Badu and Georgia Anne Muldrow
*	"Jump Up in the Air (Stay There)"	Produced by Erykah Badu, RC Williams and Jahborn Lil Wayne (rap), Bilal (vocals) Contains an interpolation of "Hydraulic Pump" by The P-Funk All-Stars

Window Seat


Jump Up In The Air (Stay There)

Ha Ha Moment Of The Day

I had to post this video... LMAO! What happens when white girls can't make a basket in basketball...

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ABSOLUT Vodka & Jay-Z Presents: NY-Z

Say what you want about Sean "Jay-Z" Carter but he is the pinnacle of hip hop. 11 Albums and countless #1 singles has landed Jay as the ambassador of rap and arguably one of the most influential figures in Music and Entertainment.  He teams up with ABSOLUT Vodka to produce a short film entitled NY-Z that documents Jay-Z upon his release of the Blueprint 3 and leading up to his historic September 11th 2009 concert at Madison Square Garden. Enjoy

Which Is The True "Pursuit of Happiness"?

Kid Cudi recently released an alternate version to his second single from his debut album entitled Man On The Moon: The End of Day entitled Pursuit of Happiness... You decide which you like better:

Original Official Music Video



Alternate Version

Soula Boy: Pretty Boy Swag

My people that know me know that I mess wit Soulja Boy tha dumb way! Here are two of his new videos for two of his latest tracks. 

Pretty Boy Swag


All Black Everythang
 

Bonus Behind The Scenes Footage

Another Poem by Backpack

This is something I wrote in 2007... It was just my thoughts on the influence of the media over culture and to a greater extent life in general. To date, it is still untitled...
 
Lupe Fiasco might jus be da greatest rapper today
Now I kno you think what did he say
But first ponder this a line that he dropped
And if you seriously listen ya mind may stop
And I quote: "No Honor Amongst Fellows
It's like sittin next to a blind and tryna describe yellow"
At first I was like that was a hot punchline
Then as gears started to spin in da back of my mind
I find that life's a circus and I sit at center stage
As mirage after mirage is shown to me to keep me engaged
But what does it really mean
And who is this ringmaster that continues to orchestrate what is seen
Is it tha rappers fault that I'm in love with money
Yet I spend it on useless things like a mindless dummy
Have you really just stopped to audit your life and see what's wrong
And realized that you ride on 20 inch chrome that cost mo than ya home
Or that you got a tattoo to feel hard yet it means nothin
And all you can say is that I gotta keep it real that's why I got this weapon
You go out and do wrong live life wit no boundary
You kill others dreams since you've long shut down your own dream factory
It feels real good to be bad and since you're good at it you strive
You subconsciously realize that's the only time you feel alive
At all other times you walk da zombie path
Neither going or coming no goals you have
They say there is a heaven but how do they know
No one's ever been there and took pictures to show
So why should I live life followin tha laws of this land
Oh cuz I've gotta please the morals of some unseen big man
Now do not mistake my words as blasphemy
Cuz like Talib Kweli said if I don't kno "My Father" then this life I live is bastardly
Humbled hearts and a pure soul is what he asks of me
And all I ask I return is send me some sign for me to see
Not a 40 year flood or a burning bush
I need peace in the middle east and violence shushed
But he can't control that cuz that's the work of man
Got damn didn't I start this off by saying there is no honor amongst men

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2 More Poems for you cool people

Okay so a few years back I thought I was a poet so I wrote these poems.  These two poems are about the first encounter between a man and woman.  I tried to write from first the male's perspective and subsequently from the female's position.  I think they come out pretty good but hey... I'm a little biased...

This one is called First Impression:


I'm thinkin.... I'm thinkin what can I say
It's hard to find words when she's lookin my way
Scrollin through my mental chic-tionary for a verse
Wonderin what would be best as these words are my first
My hope is to discover the path to her heart
But my complication is the way that I'll start
I could go pimpin ya digg...and use rhyming words
Maybe she'll fall for my rhyming verbs...
Nah she's classy not trashy so truth may work best
With this kind of chick i gotta seperate myself from da rest
So I roll up, brow sweatin...palms doin da same
I come with that first line...Excuse Me Miss, What's your name
See I've been thinkin of what I could say to capture your attention
Wait I must stop cuz your beauty I must mention
Amazing as you are alone you cannot be
So ya man's name is what?... tho i'm hopin you say me
But back to the task at hand, ya man
Is he someone special if not then without him you should stand
I could hold ya hand and warm ya shoulders
I'm a man of my word so you can trust what i've told ya
You and I flying high watching others hate us
Happy with me is the only way things would be just
So ma'am please consider a "we" future
Ya name being mine...now how would that suit ya...

And This Is Entitled The Response

Okay I'm standing here alone in this half filled room

Waitin on my friend girl to arrive soon
I glance around to scope my surroundings
Already 3 guys have tried to hound me
It's funny how guys think their slick
When they come with those weak lines tryin to get a chick
Do they not know the best approach is confidence
That and honesty awards you a second conference
So I look down at my phone to check for missed calls
I look up and see this guy on the wall
I'm not sure if he's cute in this dim light
But from what I can tell he looks alright
Then I notice him noticing me
You know that thing guys do when their lookin but don't want you to see
He looks up at me then looks past
Looks around the room but his target is what he sees last
And then he starts my way
From the look on his face he's lookin for the words to say
I doubt that they will be words to convince
But truly that is of no consequence
He opens with "Excuse Me Miss, What's your name"
It was different so I guess this guy must be sane
We continue to converse and we avoid the worse
He brings up my man but I avoid that verse
The BOY i'm with now hardly is able to wow
And this guy is much better I can see that now
I give him my number and he returns the gesture
This may be the start of life mo' betta
Being the lady that I am I hit him with my line
You know any good poker player must hide her hand
So I look to him as I suppress my smile with my hand
And say "We can talk but, let's just be friends"

Poems by Backpack Mack Pt. 1

I've decided to retrieve some of the poems that I used to have on Facebook and post them on the blog.  Here is the first post:

Heaven on Earth

When our time ends and this run is done
I hope you'll be by my side for that cold ride home
Your hand in mine we'll face it together
Ready to see whatever and whomever
If we get to heaven and you don't get in
Then my acceptance I would deny until you came up again
For being alone in Heaven is not worth
Goin to paradise yet leaving my Heaven on Earth

Thief in the Night

Officer, I'd like to report a theft
Yesterday a bandit came by took my heart and left
I awoke this morning, confused in a daze
Trapped in emotions like a mouse in a maze
I wonder where it is, if you find it let me know
I'm just scared to think what a bandit of this caliber has in store
I can't sleep, can't think, can't even stomach a bite
Wait write that down, the bandit even stole my appetite
Now I'm lost and this just isn't right
How did this happen? Somehow... my heart was stolen by a Thief in the Night

Love Thyself...

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not.  ~ Author Unknown

Most nights around midnight or so I turn everything in my room off. I turn off any lights, my television, and my laptop.  I then turn on the iPod as I find that this is the only way I can find complete and utter peace as I search the confines of my mind for answers to questions that I may or may not realize I have.  One night while engaging in this nightly practice, I found myself questioning why there is such an ever-expanding cloud of negativity in this world, both locally and internationally.  From slanderous and hateful actions to sorrowful and down-trodden comments, it appears the world has a growing negative karma that is encompassing us all.  The only answer that I could come up with is that we all have lost something that was once so dear to each of us, ourselves.

The topic of discussion for this article is evaluating self-worth.  More often than not, I find that we do not value ourselves.  For many, this fact is the single motivating factor for their daily existence as they fight daily to better themselves.  In this situation, which is a very common one, many of us feel that we are not good enough and as such we become unhappy with ourselves.  This discontent manifests itself, more often than not, as anger or sadness and thus we reach the world we all wish was different.  What should happen is that we should understand that it is our uniqueness that separates each of us into the great beings we are.  The complexion of the skin, the curve of ones body, the tempo of ones speech are all separate factors that come together to build the perfect being for your situation.  Unfortunately many of us cannot see the finish line ahead because we are too focused on the paces before us.  Dare to be different because from this difference comes the basis for great things.  Your perspective on life may be similar in some ways to others but it is our individual sight that allows one person to see what another cannot.  I find that as I began to realize just how special I am and truly believe in myself so too did others.  Often times the greatest barrier in life is not the neighborhood you grew up in or the bad situations we are dealt. Instead our greatest barrier is simply ourselves.

As I leave you with this post I have just a few more words of wisdom.  The first are a question: When you look into the mirror... Do you recognize who you see? If not then what are you doing to grow closer to that person or to make that person more like who you think you are.  It should be stated, and this is a personal saying that I have created and live by, "One should tidy up their own home before invite guests."  By this I mean that many relationships fail because we are unfamiliar with ourselves and we internally live in shambles.  As such when we bring someone else in these pieces are generally scattered more and this ends in both chaos and dismay.  To fix this, consult none other than yourself and find out just what your desires are.  You'll find some of the most interesting conversations occur between you and your inner psyche once you decide to be real to yourself about yourself.  God bless and I hope these words find you in the best of spirits so that they may truly impact you!

Kanye West VH1 Storytellers DVD/CD

Many who have the pleasure of personally knowing me know that I am a major Kanye West fan.  When news got out that Roc-A-Fella was releasing Mr. West's performance on VH1's Storytellers, images of vibrant lighting and inspiring words rushed back as I remembered seeing the performance months back.  I stand behind my statement that this performance is arguably one of the greatest performances ever to be caught on film.  How about we examine why.

The performance opens with Kanye speaking: "So many people get caught up in trying to remake their first album. It is impossible for me to make another College Dropout but I could make the best Graduation and best 808s I can make and that's how you keep on advancing as an artist.  So few hip hop artists have ever advanced.  There songs on their 7th or 8th album sound exactly like the songs on their first album. More than the artist, I'm a real person... and real people grow!"  These words would be the foundation for the entire show as the strings of "See You In My Nightmares" slowly creep in and the show opens.  The room is dark with only a spotlight placed on Kanye instantly creating the intimate and personal atmosphere that is expected from the "Storytellers" series.  As the intensity of the song grows stronger with each inflection of Kanye's voice the anticipation grows more and more until finally all the lights drop and we see this amazing blend of live instrumentation and ambient lighting.  The song rushes forward until it's peak where it then completely drops out and his song "Robocop" creeps in like the first rays of sun after a devastating storm.  West then follows the shows format of performance followed by insight into the song.  Quite possibly one of the most serious moments comes during his rendition of "Flashing Lights".  During this West lays out the backgrounds and leaves only the main strings. He then goes on to give true insight into how he sees himself given the transgressions of his career. He even goes on to say "I stand before you just a human being trying to improve under the microscope." I mean I could go on and on from the inspiring words of "Amazing" and "Touch The Sky", my personal favorites, to the feel good performance of "Good Life" and "Stronger".  The performance rendered by Kanye on that night is one that will be talked about for years.  What makes his performance so great is his understanding of the opportunities that live performance give an artist.  Using certain lighting at certain times can increase the impact of ones words that much more.  This is echoed by his understanding of the impact of certain instruments at certain times to highlight what he is speaking at the time.  All in all, Kanye West's concept of crowd psychology and music psychology is what makes his live performance such masterpieces.  Amazing is quite simply one of the best words to describe them.

Here is my numeric review of the DVD/CD

Presentation: 5.0
Concept: 5.0
Song Content: 5.0
Crowd Response: 5.0
Re-playability:  5.0
Overall: 5.0

Here is the order of the performance:

1. See You in My Nightmares

2. Robocop

3. Flashing Lights

4. Amazing

5. Touch the Sky

6. Say You Will

7. Good Life

8. Heartless/Pinocchio Story

9. Stronger

10. Homecoming

11. Street Lights

12. Paranoid

13. Bonus Material

Heartless 

Paranoid

Homecoming

Touch The Sky

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Flashing Lights

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

Amazing

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip