yung trev + m.i.a: bonafide hustla

dl: YUNG TREV f/ M.I.A. - Bonafide Hustla (alt)

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"Hump-Hop Hooray" is the latest regular series here. Every Wednesday, I'll be bringing you a different hip-hop track, new or old, for your hump day consideration.

I don't normally like to post tracks that I don't enjoy, but I felt like this is one that deserves to be discussed. I'm not crazy about Maya and Santi being adopted as hip-hop's hottest gals to sample. While I know it's a great way for artists like T.I. and Jay-Z to get serious hype from the indie-blog world, those samples were annoying as fuck. Seriously. "Paper Planes" was a great fucking song, but I dread hearing the line "No one on the corner got swagga like us" every time I hear it. That's not even considering that the term "swagga" somehow sound as dated as "homie"...

But I digress. Yung Trev is the latest rapper to jump on the M.I.A.-sampling bandwagon. His flow isn't particularly impressive, at best reflecting a second-rate Too $hort, but I have to give him credit for taking the initiative to sample something aside from the "swagga" line. When I say that "he" took the initiative, I literally mean that he produced this track.

Now, I don't like this beat. I don't like his flow. I don't ever want to listen to this song. But I do think that sampling the line "bonafide hustla making my name" was a smart move, with the potential to provide a relatively timeless hip-hop reference instead of latching onto trendy slang. ::sigh:: If only his production skills and lyrical skills could match his ideas.

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niamaj: yagotta.

dl: NIAMAJ - Yagotta (alt)
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This week's edition of Hump-Hop Hooray is short but sweet. A man's got to sleep, ya heard?

Um, why haven't a lot of people paid more attention to the Plug Music Label? I'm pretty obsessed with Niamaj's 2005 song "Yagotta" with it's ol' skool didactic rhymes and jazzy Tribe Called Quest vibe. Based on Niamaj's space profile, it seems like he's no longer working with the label, but I'd honestly be satisfied if this was the only song he ever recorded. The majority of his new material is a little harder edged, not necessarily my cup of tea. With that said, it's nice to see him experimenting with different sounds. Do you, Niamaj! Get that check.

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BONER TRACK: NIAMAJ - Yagotta (Raindrops Remix) (alt)
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kalenna: settle down.

dl: KALENNA - Settle Down (alt)

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"Hump-Hop Hooray" is the latest regular series here. Every Wednesday, I'll be bringing you a different hip-hop track, new or old, for your hump day consideration.

A supposedly anonymous voice in the intro to "Settle Down" asks several times "Who is she?", only to be followed up by a slightly angry response--"Kalenna!" It's said in a matter of fact "duh" way, as if you're stupid for not having figured it out by now. But when you think about it, it's a relatively accurate demonstration of Kalenna's celebrity status. Even if someone told you a song was by her, you'd still have no idea who they're talking about. While I'd love to say that Kalenna deserves national recognition as soon as tomorrow, the most I can say at this moment is that she possesses untapped potential that needs to be realized... hopefully, as soon as tomorrow.

"Settle Down" provides the clearest example of Kalenna's conceivable career. It's unique in the sense that it's entirely rapped, while the majority of her offerings fall into the category of mid-tempo R&B. As this is a mixtape track, it's possible she was just fucking around with her producer and having fun. Whatever the case is, the attitude portrayed on "Settle Down" is ten times more intriguing than the rest of her repertoire. While I wouldn't complain if Kalenna changed directions and went entirely hip-hop, I think she should at least consider lending her voice to an uptempo jam where she delivers rhymes (a la Mary J. Blige's rap alter-ego Brook Lynn).

Favorite moment: "I'm twenty-two, and I ain't got no stretch marks!"

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