Tag: Music

#RushHourRap – Atmosphere – God’s Bathroom Floor

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I did not realize this song was somehow 25 years old. “God’s Bathroom Floor” is a track that bounced around for a while before finding an official home on the Overcast! EP, but it never made the cut on the actual album. “Introspective raps over a jazzy hypnotic melody” also may be the best way I’ve ever heard to describe Atmosphere.

Initially written and recorded when Atmosphere and fledgling label Rhymesayers Entertainment were still making a name for themselves in the Minneapolis hip-hop scene, “God’s Bathroom Floor” was an early standout for the group. Turning heads and drawing new fans in with Slug’s introspective raps over a jazzy hypnotic melody produced by Stress, the song was performed live frequently, quickly becoming an audience favorite before ever appearing on an actual release. Even then, it was only a live performance they made available, and only on a limited mixtape they released in 1996. It would be another year before the 4-track studio recording would surface on Atmosphere’s Overcast! EP—a collection of focus tracks promoting their debut full-length album—but “God’s Bathroom Floor” never made it onto the album itself and slowly slipped into obscurity from there. – @Atmosphere

#RushHourRap – Mac Miller – 2009

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It’s like I never felt alive before
Mhmm, I’d rather have me peace of mind than war
See me and you, we ain’t that different
I struck the fuck out and then I came back swingin’
Take my time to finish, mind my business
A life ain’t a life ’til you live it

It’s no secret that I’m a big Mac Miller fan and last week would have been his 29th birthday after passing away in 2018, which is crazy he wouldn’t have even been 30 yet. I think Mac was an artist that I related to because I was in college when he first started popping online and he was rapping about a lot of the same stuff I was doing. He was probably the most successful out of the white kid frat rap genre (Asher Roth, Sammy Adams, Chris Webby etc.) that was like a comet back in the late 2000s, but he was also the only one to really grow up and his music reflected that.

K.I.D.S. and Best Day Ever still immediately takes me back to drinking around campus and Blue Slide Park came out when I was living by myself in New York working my first real life job. (It was also the first time I owned a car with an actual CD player) Watching Movies With the Sound Off though is where Mac really started experimenting and you could see he was trying to break out of the party rapper mold, which eventually led to much more well rounded albums like GO:OD AM. He started branching out into other genres like funk and somehow successfully bending that to fit his own style like he did with The Divine Feminine before releasing arguably his best all around album Swimming, released just over a month before his death in 2018. His family and inner circle posthumously released his Circles album in 2020 as well.

But I think one of the most enduring examples of his work oddly enough was his NPR Tiny Desk Concert. I was feeling nostalgic the other day so I threw that up on YouTube and it just shows the growth Mac Miller had from his early days as he croons with a live band including one of my favorite songs of his, the melancholy ballad “2009.” There are much worse ways to spend 15 minutes of your day so I highly recommend checking it out.

#RushHourRap – Saud ft. Shiloh Meets World and King Los – Woman

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Another day of #RushHourRap bringing you fresh tracks that you may or may not have heard before, but this is one you need to add to your rotation. Produced by Saud, featuring Shiloh Meets World and King Los, “Woman” is a slick, up tempo bass heavy track that just feels like a speeding down the highway kind of jam. So check it out or you can follow The 300s #RushHourRap playlist on Spotify below and we’ll curate it for you.

#RushHourRap – Eminem – Music To Be Murdered By – Side B

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Emergency edition of #RushHourRap this morning as Eminem dropped SIXTEEN new songs in the middle of the night! Music To Be Murdered By – Side B is another vehicle for Em, now 48-years-old, to show off his unmatched lyrical prowess and the elite ability to play with flow and cadence all while delivering rapid fire rhymes.

It’s packaged as a continuation of Music To Be Murdered By, which Em dropped back in January pre-pandemic. Marshall’s late career blitz continues as this is his 4th album in the last four years and his 7th in the last 11, which kicked off with Relapse way back in 2009. That came after a five year hiatus following Encore and I remember that felt like the end of Eminem, which is crazy to say 16 years and seven albums later. Em’s work over the past decade has been hit or miss with massive, massive success like Recovery, some well received albums like Marshall Mathers LP 2 that featured some A+ tracks like “Rap God.” Then of course came some misses like Revival and Kamikaze, both of which I enjoy as an Eminem stan (“Lucky You” still BANGS), but were not all that well received critically or commercially. We’ll see how MTBMB – Side B is received by fans and critics, but any time Eminem blesses the eardrums with new music I am all in.

#RushHourRap – Radamiz – Stage Fright

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25 letter alphabets, I’m never catching Z’s

Meet Brooklyn’s own Radhames Rodriguez AKA Radamiz. If you haven’t heard of him yet then stop reading and start listening because this man can rap. He hasn’t really popped mainstream (not to say everyone even wants to go mainstream), but he has opened up for rap legends like Nas and Black Star so he definitely is getting respect from those in the know. Anyways this track “Stage Fright” is off his 2019 album Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes. Give it a spin and let us know what you think and check out the rest of Rad’s work.

#RushHourRap – Logic – Open Mic/Aquarius III

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I can hear the voices in my mind when I rhyme
Give it up, you’re out of time
Never even had a prime
Like the Preemo never linked up with 5’9″
Bitch, I’m back like the muscles surrounding my vertebrae
Okay, fuck what you gotta say
I keep it going, already know when I’m flowing
For the listener, you’re kind of like a therapist
Or rather Cole in 2005, flowing like Canibus
That throwback shit, yeah, that throwback shit
Fuck what you heard, my catalog, it ain’t got no wack shit
‘Cause I’m a gladiator in the Colosseum, everybody wanna be him
‘Til they feel like they can’t be him, then they wanna see him lose
Wrote this poem in navy, that’s what I call singing the blues
Word to Dot D, my family got me, no carbon copy
Life can hit you harder than Drago
But if I roll with the punches when it’s rocky, don’t ever stop me

Logic is a frequent feature of #RushHourRap and for good reason. I feel like a lot of people only hear the few songs of his that really went mainstream like “1-800,” “Sucker for Pain,” “Every Day,” etc. which are all good songs, but don’t show Logic’s real lyrical prowess. This track from his most recent album No Pressure that dropped earlier this year came on my Spotify this morning and as a 5+ minute song it can definitely get lost in the shuffle, but my goodness the wordplay here is elite. I couldn’t even pick just a couple of bars to point out, which is why I listed 17 lines above. The amount of double entendres, deep cut rap references, and slick wordplay is unreal in a 30 second span.

I don’t know why, but the visuals for this song are only for a couple of the verses, which is why the below video is not even two minutes long.

So give this a spin, then go listen to the rest of Bobby’s catalogue, and then pour one out because according to him No Pressure was his final album (for now). Logic’s musical career is to be continued…

#RushHourRap – Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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Released 10 years ago this week, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is one of the best albums of the decade and in my opinion the best work of Kanye West’s career.

MBDTF won the Grammy for Rap Album of the Year along with two other Grammys for “All of the Lights.” The album is Kanye’s magnum opus and has contributions from so many heavy hitters in the industry that it really is mind blowing. Across production, features, and writing credits there were contributions from RZA, No ID, Scott Mescudi AKA Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver, Swizz Beatz, Pusha T, John Legend, Charlie Wilson, and Beyonce to name a few.

While I know everyone has heard the singles like “All of the Lights,” “Runaway,” and “Monster,” I cannot recommend enough that you watch the above 34 minute film. It is a glimpse into Kanye’s brain and his love for grandiosity. It is wild, and weird, and beautiful. I always said this could have been a legit broadway play and if you’ve ever been to a Kanye concert and seen his set pieces then you know the thought’s probably crossed his mind.

#RushHourRap – Snoop Dogg ft Justin Timberlake – Signs

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It may be quarantine season, but it’s still Friday so make sure you’re in your finest sweatpants having a couple cocktails shaking that ass tonight. There are few better songs for just that then this 2005 throwback from Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake ft. Charlie Wilson. This song is so old it was just a year after Janet Jackson infamously threw her titties at Justin Timberlake. This song is so old it was on my iPod shuffle. Do kids today know what an iPod shuffle, let alone an iPod, even is? This was before Sexy Back, My Love, and even Dick in a Box. So jump in the way back machine, grab your Zune and turn it up to 11.

#RushHourRap – Jack Harlow – Tyler Herro

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A little Friday afternoon #RushHourRap bringing you into the weekend even though most of you are probably only commuting from the desk in your bedroom to the couch in your living room. Doesn’t mean we can’t crack a few crafties on a Friday night with some new tunes though.

Jack Harlow blew onto the scene when he dropped Whats Poppin earlier this year with one of the catchiest beats I’ve heard all year. Well now he’s back with Tyler Herro, named after the rookie Miami Heat sniper who you may remember for the assault he committed against my Boston Celtics. The song itself has some sneaky one liners that are super relevant during these UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.

Can’t touch me, I got instincts
Locked in the house, but I’m plottin’ things

I came home nice, but I’m goin’ back mean
I’m ’bout to globe-trot when they know a vaccine

Is it a little early in his career for Tyler Herro to have a rapper name a song after him? Maybe, but Herro played at Kentucky, where Harlow is actually from so the connection makes sense. Not to mention, Herro has the best drip here. So now he’s got a song to match.

Hopefully Herro’s career goes better after having a rap song named after him than Johnny Manziel’s did once Drake made him a rap anthem with Draft Day.

Introducing the Official #RushHourRap Playlist

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Introducing the official #RushHourRap playlist curated by The 300s. Dozens of songs compiled from the past 30 years so you can take my obscure music recommendations with you anywhere. Featuring everyone from household names like Eminem and Kanye to lesser known artists, rappers you need to know, and young guys on the come up.

Just search #RushHourRap on Spotify to add it to your library.

Some of the deeper cuts of #RushHourRap unfortunately did not make the list because Spotify doesn’t exactly have a plethora of obscure mixtapes. So that means you’ll still need to track down hidden gems like Switch by Lupe Fiasco on YouTube.

But if you’re a fan of our morning rap recommendations then make sure you save and share this playlist because it’s a living breathing entity that I’ll be adding to all the time.