There hasn’t been a lot of music released this week, and the little we got was mostly forgettable, but seeing as the insatiable music appetite needs to be fed, fed and fed again, we decided to to a six pack this week and feature what we think are Nate Dogg’s best hooks.

It is not an easy list to make (and I am sure there will be disagreements) because his is one of the most distinctive and original voices in rap. There was a time when a guest feature from Nate Dogg practically guaranteed hip-hop gold. Nate is recovering from the effects of two debilitating strokes so it may be a while before we hear from him again.

1. Warren G – Regulate

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   The G-Funk era was defined by Nate Dogg’s cool singing. The story in ‘Regulate’ is actually quite violent (in a 90s New Jack City kind of way), but Nate Dogg’s brand of soul tempers all that, which is why this has become a favorite of frat houses everywhere.

2. Nate Dogg – One More Day

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   This melancholy narrative on growing up on the rough side of town is easily my favorite Nate Dogg song.

3. Pharoahe Monch – Oh No

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   This is probably Nate Dogg’s best hook ever, and Pharohe Monch’s verse would make my Top Ten Best verses in hip-hop, if I was ever bored enough to actually write that list.

4. The Dogg Pound – Big pimpin’

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   Ok it is not strictly a hook, more like a filthy dirty singing interlude in a filthy dirty rap song, but Nate still kills it.

5. Dr Dre – Next Episode

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   Ironically the weakest thing about this Dr Dre track is Dr Dre’s rap. The man can produce the hell out of a sing, but he should leave the rapping and singing to the experts. “Smoke weed everyday!”

6. 50 Cent – 21 questions

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   Simple beat, simple hook, great song. Remember how good fiddy used to be? Before he made millions on Vitamin water and figured out he didn’t need to rap?

What up mToH! Happy Friday. I skipped the riddim of the week this week in order to bring you this special version of the Friday Feature Six Pack. This Reggae One Drop is a ‘What to Wear for Summer 2010′ mini manual. Right to the music shall we.

Vybz Kartel has had possibly more beef now in his career than 50 Cent and that is saying a WHOLE LOT! Recently Kartel has decided, unlike 50, to let his music do the talking. Earlier this year he released a mega hit so large it’s not only the number one song of 2010 hands down so far, it has also brought renewed attention to a brand that is as English as tea and crackers (or biscuits as we call them back home). He followed up this smash hit with another big hit. These two tracks are our #1 and #2 what to wear for summer 2010.

#1 – Clarks

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Clarks have seen their sales soar in JA. Shops have doubled prices and are still selling out. Needless to say if you have a pair of Wallabees, Desert Boots and Desert Treks right now in JA you should probably be stepping out with a little extra care these days if you know what I mean. This song is so popular Vybz has since put out a part 2 and part 3 where he encourages people ”if you don’t have Clarks, wear what you have”. Damn son imagine having THAT much marketing power.

Note to Vybz: If you aren’t getting royalty checks from Clarks then you need to send someone to see about that! You get me!

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To be a fan of Cleveland Sports is to be in a constant state of resigned hopelessness. Things rarely go well. The Browns snuck off to Baltimore in 1996, became the Ravens and have since won a Superbowl, while the “new” Browns have only made the playoffs once. The Indians haven’t haven’t won the World Series since before recorded time, and the city that had to endure a The Drive, The Fumble, and The Shot, now has The Decision. (I know we all had to live through that revolting display, but people in Cleveland felt it)

The King has given the city two deuces and moved his kingdom to Miami, where he will undoubtedly win enough championships to make everyone forget he had seven years in Cleveland. (Does anyone remember KG in Minnesota? Didn’t think so).

The Clevelanders I know reacted to the news in different ways. Some just shrugged their shoulders and claimed they never cared for the man anyway (yeah right). Some sobbed into their beers, shook their fists at the tv, and cursed their parents for birthing them in an obviously cursed city. Some were just plain angry. They burnt his jersey, flung obscenities at no one in particular and looked for someone or something to hurt. The angry ones are my favorites. I love people that wear their emotions on their sleeves, no matter how trivial the issue (because, no matter how big a fan you are, this is a trivial issue).

This list is for the angry fans, you crazy bastards.

1. E-40, Petey Pablo, Lil Jon & Eightball & MJG – Rep your city

   Self-explanatrory, no?

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2. Ludacris – Slap (The Slap Lebron Mix)

   Sums up what everyone in Cleveland is feeling today. Replace every instance of the word ‘somebody’ with “Lebron”. Can’t do it? Well we did it for you! “I feel like slapping Lebron todaaaayy”

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   Download (Right click and save as)

3. Cyprus Hill – How I could just kill a man

   Like the perspicacious Bill Simmons says: “I just hope he remembers to wipe the blood off the knife after he pulls it from Cleveland’s back.”

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   (mToH does not endorse any violence towards Lebron James. This includes the throwing of stones, the thumbing of fingers, and/or farting in his general direction – Ed).

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Who is Chiddy Bang? Take a listen…..

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That was ‘Breakfast’. Now here’s the story of how music such as this came to be. Read more…

Alright, first thing’s first: if you know popular Latin music well, stop reading. You’ll be bored. Skip to the previous post. For the rest of us, a quick-and-dirty lesson in this thing they call reggaetón might be in order. Remember, Google Translate is your friend for looking up lyrics (“letras”).

To start: reggaetón is not originally from Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic, despite associations. That ish is from Panama. Back in the day, reggaetón was exactly what it sounds like: reggae and dancehall riddims, but in Spanish instead of English. 20 years ago, this was exemplified by El General with tracks like “Muévelo”

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You cannot ignore it. You can try, but you’ll fail. The World Cup is here and here to stay! (for a month). Everything will change (for a month) and things will never be the same (for a month).

If you are a football fan, even if your country did not make the finals, then the next month will be very unproductive. If however, you are not a football fan (and yes that’s football, the game you play with your feet and a ball, not the other football which should really be called throw/catch/run ball’), then the next month will probably be hell. If you are a footbnall fan then the next month will be very unproductive.

Whatever your situation, excited or indifferent, mToH has your musical bases covered:

1. First: I’m so excited!

   If like me you have been waiting years for this day, then do yourself a favor and let loose. Jump up, dance, wave your arms about, lose control and like it! The Pointer Sisters will help.

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2. If your team loses its opening game: Tubthumping

   There is still hope. It is possible to lose your opening game and still qualify the knockout stages. Difficult, but possible. Get up, get at ‘em, go TubThumping! (whatever that is)

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Wow where do I start? So I usually don’t air my personal business out in the streets , but in lieu of Wednesday’s post, I might as well…eh….keep the party going!

As the week unfolded it became more apparent to me how much music gets everyone through life. The good times, the bad times, and but of course the “break-ups!” Although my break ups seem to range from slammed car doors on the whip to a night at the LaQuinta Inn (unwillingly), I can’t help but find myself buried in love sap songs to gritty hip-hop. I can remember the great times I spent with her zip lining in the woods and playing with little masto (my fatty – PAUSE..it’s a dog people!) to the bad times of packing my s**t at 3AM…I’m just saying, but enough of that sappy madness.

In the end, it all works itself out because you realize you have the best true friends and family in the world who do everything from let you crash in their 3rd bedroom to laugh at you at lunch when you’re hungover telling a story…..to taking you out in your hometown, hearing gun shots across the street from the club you just walked out of, and not letting you go home until 4 am after you had only 2 hours of sleep the prior night!

So without further ado…on to the next one…. and to avoid further humilation I will move onto the most important part…the music. My break-up mixtape for 2010 and beyond…Diddy Style

1. Amerie – Why Don’t We Fall in Love

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    (I thought we were…guess I was wrong)

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And so it hits you: you are 30 – far too young for a mid-life crisis, yet a little too old to still be looking forward to Saturday nights as much as you do. If you are anything like me, you greeted the big three-oh with a mixture of trepidation, fear and relief.

Trepidation because, geez, you are freaking thirty(!); fear because fuck! you are already thirty; and relief because phew, you are finally thirty.

Tough day. I made a playlist to help get me (and you) through that most terrifying/joyful/depressing/delightful of days:

1. Ahmad – Back in the day

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   Play this first thing in the morning when the alarm goes off and before you get out of bed. There is no better song in hip-hop to ease you into a nostalgia-filled day.

2. Soulja Boy – Turn my swag on

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   Turn the volume up to 11 and just follow instructions. Hop up out of bed, turn your swag on, take a look in the mirror and say “What’s up, Yeeeeeahhh, I’m getttin’ money, Oohhhh”.
   Then switch this garbage off and thank God you weren’t born in the 90s.

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 I found this on the Internetz and on site of seeing ‘Drake ft. Assassin (Agent Sasco)’ I started the download and then immediately opened my gmail to forward to the team. And then I listened……….uggghhh (not clipse) !!!!!

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   Do you like the original? I wasn’t convinced by it. This remix knocks though!

   Aight so yeah I liked the original. Especially the FIRST minute of the original….hate, hate, hate, hate. But I am NOT feeling this. But let me give some perspective.

   I do not think its that bad. First of all it has that old school type beat that just knocks. That drum pattern makes everything sound harder, and that suits this song to no end. I wish they had kept it for the chorus. That part still sounds off to me.
  Secondly, Assasin rides that beat like no other (pause). You cannot deny THAT at least.

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Choosing a song for the first dance at your wedding can be tricky. First of all, there is the expectation of the moment. The DJ usually makes a flourishing announcement: “ladies and gentlemen, Mr and Mrs so-and-so will now have their first dance as husband and wife”, then everyone gathers around the dance floor and stare. They just stare and take pictures.

Dancing is tough enough when no one is watching. But when your mom, your dad, your partner’s mom and dad, your cousins, your aunts and uncles, your workmates, your friends, your partner’s friends (who you hate), those two strangers who you’re sure crashed the wedding, and the annoying staff at the reception hall all gather around in a tight circle to ‘awwww’ and ‘ahhhh’ you and your newly acquired spouse, it can be nerve wracking.

It is always the most awkward part of any wedding- the last formality before everyone can let loose and actually party, which is what they came for anyway, and more often than not couples choose terrible songs for their first dance.

These are the ones I have witnessed, as a DJ and a guest, and the ones you should definitely avoid.

1. Stevie Wonder – I just called to say I love you

   Because it’s too cheesy

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   This is terrible first song not only because it is cheesy to the extreme, but also because it is almost impossible to dance to. I’ve seen a fair few couples try, none has succeeded. I’ve seen them try the 2-step- that doesn’t work. They’ve tried the side-to-side shuffle with no success.

   In the end, all they can is sort of bounce to and fro, while smile nervously at the watching circle and pray for the song to end.

   I always slow it down just a little, because I love watching newly-weds squirm. Mwwahahahaha!

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I was asked to write an article about a person who has played an important part in my life by way of his music.  However, I thought it inequitable for me to try to explain who Guru was and how I felt about him and his music.  So, I did you all a favor and commissioned my girlfriend, Amber, to write this one…

Amber M:

I respect Guru for his honesty and have been a fan of this raspy voiced artist since day one. ‘Mostly Tha Voice’ captures the essence of who Guru truly was. His voice was an extension of his personality and added depth to every song. I believe that vocal inflection is a quality he looked for in other artist when wanting to feature them on a particular track. Lyrically they may have not be the greatest, but Guru had a way of bringing out the best in up and coming artist.

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Al Green was the first artist I was fanatical about. I have his records…yes, vinyl. I have his t-shirt, I have a magazine clipping of an interview of his hanging on my refrigerator- it’s three years old. His picture is the background on my computer and cell phone.

I know the ins and outs of this guy. For example, his last name is actually spelled Greene, he had his “come-to-Jesus” moment when his girlfriend poured boiling grits on him, and for only $30,000 he’ll officiate and perform at your wedding. I’ve been saving up for fourteen years.

I even remember the first time I heard his music- it was junior year of high school, a bunch of us were in my friend, Greg’s, basement playing ping-pong and drinking liters of Jolt- who says you have to drink alcohol to have fun? The next moments are kind of blurry on account of the major caffeine high, but I recall Greg taking the Thriller record off the player and putting Al Green’s Greatest Hits on. As soon as I heard those first silky smooth notes of ‘Tired of Being Alone,’ I put down my ping-pong paddle and had my own come-to-Jesus moment. I’ve never looked back.

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