... the stars have aligned

Well ... in a bit of a surprise, I received not one, but two nice music packages recently - just as I was, sort of, complaining about not getting the new Jurassic 5 disk. Come to find out, the drop date was moved back. However, I did receive the single "Work it Out" that features the Dave Matthews Band. I like it. I think DMB brings something to the table and not just their noteriety. Seems I may have the complete "Feedback" cd by the end of next week. That, my friends, is true hip hop love from the hip hop gods - I am grateful. The disk will be in stores/online on July 25th.

The other package that I received caught me totally off guard. I tried to decipher the label - to make sure it was not a suspicious sender. It did not take me long to figure out it came from Def Jam - "The Roots" poster at the top of the heap gave it away - the legal sized 'coming soon' poster features the sextet at a poker table dressed to the nines. Love that - very, very easy on the eyes. It has already found a home on my office wall - not far from my vintage Miles Davis poster.

Enough about the poster, eh, there was so much more in the box. All sorts of cd singles, lots of vinyl including "The Roots" first single, and ...... drum roll, the latest and critically acclaimed "Fishscale" cd from Ghostface Killah! Happy, happy, joy, joy for me! Now, I've heard so much about this cd, that I thought that it might be overkill. I really needed to hear for myself. And though I'd been intending to purchase the disk, I just had not gotten around to it. So it was a pleasant surprise. My thoughts on "Fishscale ... ?" It is worth ALL the hype. Yes, I mean it - because I am not a bandwagoner. Meaning, I won't hop on the rig just because everyone else is on it. So I'm not just saying I like it because that's the latest trend, oh-no ... I have not singled out the titles of the tracks that stand out to me yet - I've listened to it in its entirety so far and I was groovin along to it each time. So, the beats are there and the rhymes are stand out. Storytelling is the key to this here winner.

Before I dip out, I do have a hip hop show or two on my summer schedule - and I thought that I would not make it to any this summer. I hope to check out Dabrye @ the Grog Shop in Cleveland. I might also catch Fatlip and Omni later this month. But I should surely be attending "The Roots" w/the Pharcyde and Miri Ben-Ari when they are in Cleveland next month. I will probably have a "Roots" marathon listening party in preparation for that show. Did mention that "Phrenology" is possibly my favorite "Roots" disk? I know some people will want to question my reasoning on that one, but I am not going there today.

Later hip hop heads ... stay true, kfox