WWE Hell In A Cell Preview & Rant

For the second time in two weeks, WWE will hold a PPV as Hell In A Cell takes place Sunday, October 2nd from New Orleans, LA.

The event will be headlined by John Cena defending the WWE Championship inside the barbaric Hell In A Cell structure against both Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk for the first time in a triple threat match. Also featured will be newly crowned World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry going one on one with the man he took the championship from Randy Orton inside the Hell In A Cell.

Unfortunately, due to the short amount of time since Night of Champions, the story lines for both matches seemed rushed especially the WWE Championship bout. Just last month, CM Punk was involved in a feud with WWE COO Triple H and now he is back to where he was two months ago in the WWE title picture.

This is a shame, because John Cena, Alberto Del Rio and CM Punk all have the ability to tell great stories and throwing them in a feud to obtain PPV buys is ruining half the fun of being a wrestling fan. The short amount of time has not let the viewer become emotionally invested in the story and want to see the big blowoff match at the PPV. While I am confident all three men will put on a great match, without the story line, the match feels unimportant.

Hell In A Cell used to mean something in professional wrestling. Before it became an annual PPV, Hell In A Cell matches were rare and had a big time feel whenever they were announced. The match was a special attraction and was used as the climax to an important feud. In fact, the first time the WWE Championship was even defended inside one of these structures was the sixth Hell In A Cell when Triple H defeated Mick Foley in February of 2000.

Over the years, the importance and big time feel of Hell In A Cell has been dwindled down to almost nothing and it has honestly become just another match in the WWE machine. This is sad because some of the greatest memories of WWE from my childhood were moments that took place inside these matches. I will never forget the image of the Undertaker throwing Mick Foley off the top of the Cell threw the announce table to the concrete floor and afterwards Mick Foley smiling with his front teeth missing and a tooth lodged up his nose.

While I am aware that the times have changed, and am complacent with never seeing another human being plummet to the ground for entertainment, I am not okay with the fact that one of the most special and prestige matches of my era has been diminished to a throw away PPV. With the proper buildup, this event could have been special and quite memorable instead of just a prelude to the Survivor Series PPV in November.

UFC Verses 6: Cruz vs. Johnson Preview

This Saturday, the UFC Bantamweight Championship will be on the line as UFC champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in Washington D.C. on free television courtesy of the Verses Network. 

Dominick Cruz will be defending his championship for the fifth time since winning the 135 pound title back in August of 2010, and will be facing arguably the fastest competitor to ever step foot inside the octagon in Demetrious Johnson. 

Demetrious Johnson has looked unstoppable inside of the cage and is currently on a four fight winning streak over world class competition. His last two fights in particular were enough to earn him a title opportunity as he defeated the world renown Norifumi “Kid” Yamamato and former WEC Bantamweight champion Miguel Torres. 

Johnson is currently heading into his fight with Cruz as the underdog, but the underdog role is something Johnson has been playing his entire life. Standing at only 5'3, Johnson is considerably smaller than most opponents he has to face and Saturday will be no different as Johnson will be giving up five inches to the 5'8 champion Dominick Cruz. 

  To make up for his lack of height, Johnson possesses another tool to help him inside of the octagon, his speed. Johnson's quickness is his main weapon and he uses it to his full advantage. Opponents who normally obtain world class wrestling are unable to stop Johnson's shot mainly because they do not see it coming. Both Yamamato and Torres were essentially hopeless as Johnson's speed baffled and confused them both en route to unanimous decision losses. 

While Johnson has the upper hand in quickness, Dominick Cruz will be his greatest challenge to date. No slouch in the speed category, Cruz is the champion for a reason and could possibly possess the best footwork in all of mixed martial arts. Cruz' fighting style is one of movement and constant motion, and all of his opponents to date have been unable to figure out how to stop him. 

In his last fight, Dominick Cruz was able to successfully defend his Bantamweight championship against the only man to ever defeat him, Urijah Faber in the main event of UFC 132. In a potential fight of the year candidate, Cruz showed exactly why he is the champion and put forth a gritty performance using his crazy footwork to put on a show en route to a unanimous decision victory avenging the only loss on his mixed martial arts record. 

Saturday night, expect fireworks and do not blink when these two bantamweights collide together inside of the octagon. The 135 pound division is without a doubt the most exciting division of the UFC due to the nonstop action throughout the duration of the fight. There is never a dull moment or a stoppage of action when a fight within this division takes place and Saturday night the two best representatives of the division will fight for championship gold. 

In the Co-Main Event of the evening, two heavyweights in desperate need of a win will face off as Pat Barry will compete against Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve. Both of these men are coming off devastating knockout losses which stopped all previous momentum they had gained inside of the stacked Heavyweight division. 

For Pat Barry, his setback was the worst as he was the victim of arguably the greatest MMA come from behind victory of all time in his last fight against Cheick Kongo. With Kongo seemingly knocked unconscious, Barry swung wildly, putting his guard down for a split second and was caught with a stiff hook and uppercut knocking him out cold. The fight was catastrophic for Barry as he seemingly was well on his way to a victory and advancing his stock in a crowded heavyweight scene. However, his brief lapse in judgement pushed him further down the ladder, causing his stock to plummet as well. 

Stefan Struve is in the same boat as Barry, and his latest loss also pushed him towards the back end of the line in terms of relative heavyweight fighters competing in the UFC. Before his last loss, the 6'11 Dutchmen had back to back TKO victories, one earning him the knock out of the night award. Struve was well on his way to elevating himself into the upper echelon of heavyweights before crumbling to the superman punch of Travis Browne back in May. 

Both Pat Barry and Stefan Struve could quite possibly be fighting for their careers in the UFC on Saturday. With the recent addition of Alistair Overeem to the UFC heavyweight division, two consecutive losses inside the octagon could potentially result in being cut by the UFC and unemployment. With this possible stipulation on the line, I expect both warriors to leave it all inside of the cage with hopes of getting back to their winning ways. 

Saturday night is a great night for mixed martial arts enthusiasts as the UFC has once again delivered with an incredible fight card for its fans. The Bantamweight Championship fight is the first title bout the UFC has put on free television since 2007 at UFC 75 when Quinton “Rampage” Jackson defeated Dan Henderson in a Light Heavyweight Championship contest. With the recent groundbreaking announcement of the UFC partnering with FOX, the UFC is unquestionably looking to gain more fan support in their quest to become mainstream. Their decision to go with Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson was an excellent selection to showcase not only their newest division but also two of the greatest athletes competing in the sport of mixed martial arts today. 

Half A Life

Barking with madness lost in a hopeless sea

Eternal damnation not a moment of glee

Broken & empty a hollowed look in my eye

Down on both knees, hands & tears flow to the sky

A life of such promise ravaged & run astray

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

Vultures glide above in my darkest hour

Sinking their fangs to the neck of a joyful corpse I no longer empower

Winds change as the demons are drunk on their lust

My minds overcome with sorrow from the tornados of disgust

An uneasiness settles I'm caught in the lights unable to get away

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

More questions then answers, the nights darkest before dawn

Pillaging confusion pours gasoline on the fire of my scorn

Ripped asunder from the boy who was once a majestic dove

What is left is the mosquito salivating for love

My wings ready to soar yet I am bound to the ground

Weeping for help but not a lending hand to be found

This game called life, I no longer wish to play

I lived half a life & threw the rest away.

A Reluctant American Hero

Today, an immense honor was bestowed upon a brave soldier who risked his live during live combat to rescue his team when they were ambushed two years ago in Afghanistan. However, if you ask Sergeant Dakota Meyer if he believe he deserves the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by The United States government, you will be answered with a resounding no. 

On September 8th, 2009 just before dawn in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers and marines were accompanying an Afghan battalion when they were ambushed by Taliban insurgents at Ganjgal valley. The mountains in the valley erupted in a deadly battlefield of open fire, as rocket-propelled grenades and bullet shells flew at the squadron from every possible angle, ranging from schools to the hills.

It was at this point, where the story of Sgt. Dakota Meyer becomes one of true heroism and brotherhood. Admittedly, never one to follow the flow nor the rules, Sgt. Meyer immediately knew he had to take action into his own hands in order to rescue his team. Located at the rear during the ambush, Sgt. Meyer watched as his brothers in war were trapped with no possible escape, left to die. 

After being denied permission to join the fight, on the count of it being to dangerous. Sgt. Meyer and Staff Sergeant Juan Rodriguez-Chavez embarked on what can only be described as a suicide mission. Disobeying the conventional Military operation of following orders, Meyer and Chavez defied the odds and drove a humvee straight into the heart of the ambush, with Chavez at the wheel and Meyer operating the gun on top, his whole upper body completely exposed to the chaotic atmosphere around him. 

Stopping to rescue and pick up the injured troops and give cover for American forces to escape, Meyer and Chavez were able to successfully save a great number of human lives both American and Afghan alike. A total of five trips were made into the middle of hell on earth, having to move on foot the final time. Each and every second, Sgt. Meyer said he felt he was going to die but as he says, “that's what you do for a brother.”

A total of thirty-six lives were saved that day during the six hour ambush. Twenty-three Afghanistan lives and thirteen American lives. Sgt. Meyer is also credited with killing eight Taliban insurgents who initiated the attack, some at close range. Unfortunately, when Meyer and Chavez reached their comrades, they had already been killed in combat. The four men apart of Meyer's team were Lt. Michael Johnson, Staff Sgt. Aaron Kenefick, Gunnery Sgt. Edwin Johnson and Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class James Layton. However, Sgt. Meyer was able to rescue the bodies, enabling them to be brought back home and laid to rest peacefully, giving their families their proper goodbyes. 

Accepting the award on behalf of the fallen soldiers at a memorialization in his hometown of Columbia, Kentucky. Sgt. Meyer may feel uncomfortable with being described as a hero, but there is no denying the fact that what this man did on that doomed day is the definition of a true American hero and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Believing all the fighting men and women deserve this award, a simple beer with the President would have been more then enough compensation for Dakota, even though he was to busy to answer the Commander-In-Chief's call the first time claiming he had to work. 

Sgt. Dakota Meyer thank you. Your bravery and story is an inspiration to American's nationwide and I congratulate you on being one of the youngest recipients of the Medal of Honor award. 

Big K.R.I.T. "Returnof4eva" Review

                When XXL printed their issue featuring the top freshman of 2011, I was initially disappointed. I did not recognize most of the names on the list and was skeptical of their choices. One of the names which I was shocked to see was someone by the name of Big K.R.I.T.  Besides being unknown to me, I assumed Big K.R.I.T. was a typical Soulja-Boi type of act when I found out he was southern and produced his own beats. I could not have been more wrong. After reading about last year’s critically acclaimed mix tape “K.R.I.T Wuz Here”, I decided to check him out and from then on it was obvious to me that K.R.I.T. was someone who was going to make a difference with his music and I was eagerly anticipating his new release, “Returnof4eva.”

                K.R.I.T. which is an acronym for King Remembered In Time, is an up and coming rapper and producer from Mississippi. Hailing from the third coast, K.R.I.T. unleashes “Returnof4eva” with all of the southern swag one can handle. The whole album is bass heavy which is great for playing in the car with the volume turned up and a system banging in the trunk. Producing the whole album by himself, “Returnof4eva”, is a great showcase of what K.R.I.T. is bringing to the table and what he could provide to the game in the future, not just for himself but for others as well. The reason K.R.I.T. is special and different is his use of soul into his music. The fact that all twenty-one tracks on “Returnof4eva”contain a component of soul into the production adds a new element to his sound and makes him stand out from the rest of the pack, not only in the South but throughout Hip-Hop as well.

                Big K.R.I.T. is an exceptional lyricist as well. He is different in this compartment too because he does not use any witty punch lines or metaphors, yet still gets his message across due to his magnificent word play and smooth laid back flow. His voice glides over the beats majestically and he holds the listener into travelling on a journey through his world. For the most part, K.R.I.T is basically by himself on the record but when he does get support, he is helped out by some of the best the South has to offer including Ludacris, Bun B and Chamillionaire. However, none of these artists outshine K.R.I.T., despite their legendary statuses and he holds his own and proves he belongs among the Southern greats already.

                The opening song on “Returnof4eva” is ‘Rise and Shine’ and from this early on, the listener will already feel as if he is witnessing something special. The sincerity is evident in his lyrics and the honesty carries out throughout the rest of the record. What follows next, is the ‘R4 Theme Song’ and it is here that we get our first taste of Big K.R.I.T.’s Southern pride as the bass is heavy enough to rattle trunks and also sample’s Outkast on the hook. ‘Dreamin’’ is the next song on the record and it is one of the best songs to be featured on “Returnof4eva.” “Dreamin’’ is an inspiring song about working hard to achieve all that you want out of life and a reminder to never give up on your goals. K.R.I.T. tells us of his struggles on the song and all that he had to do to reach his dreams. It is a perfect representation of where K.R.I.T is right now in his life and a good choice as his first single, since he is living out his dreams everyday now.

                The next group of songs on the disc has more bounce to them and are great songs to drive around too while the sound bounces out of your trunk. ‘Rotation’ is a great song to drive slow too with the volume turned all the way up, while ‘My Sub’ has the heaviest bass on the record and should be played at high volume for maximum appreciation.  David Banner appears on ‘Sookie Now’ and despite his Mississippi origins, he offers nothing to the track besides passing the torch as K.R.I.T. easily outshines him and might possibly make better beats.

                ‘American Rapstar’, is one of the most creative songs on “Returnof4eva”, as K.R.I.T breaks down the rap stars in America and questions if they are really living a true life or just playing up to the gimmick. In one of the best lines, K.R.I.T. compares rappers to their chains saying the flashier the better. The ninth song ‘Highs & Lows’ is a slower song but just as heavy as the preceding songs and includes a very catchy sing-a-long chorus how “life ain’t nothing but an EQ of high’s and lows.” The next song, ‘Shake It’, is faster with more bounce and energy showing just how versatile Big K.R.I.T. is. It is a fun song, with exceptional lyrics and production which I am sure will maintain a high amount of replay value.  ‘Shake It’, also includes a great Chris Rock sample at the end which acts as a perfect transition into the next song ‘Made Alot.” ‘Made Alot”, features a sick sample and a great beat as K.R.I.T. raps about people claiming he changed over his new found success but in actuality they’re the ones who changed as they are hoping to see him fail. “Lions & Lambs’ is next, and is a song about how only the strong survive in this world and it is either hunt or be hunted. Even though this is a simple metaphor, K.R.I.T. is able to make it work over the soulful beat and old school scratches.

                Starting with, “King’s Blues” the old school respect and appreciation as well as the soulfulness really shine through, but still remains 100% Southern. The flow is strong on ‘King’s Blues’ as K.R.I.T. spits, “What’s a king without a crown, what’s a car without some sound.” Chamillionaire is featured on the next song, ‘Time Machine’, a car song about riding around town bumping old CD’s in the whip. Both K.R.I.T. and Chamillionaire shout out some of their heroes and legends including the Geto Boys and UGK, as well as many underground artists relevant to Southern Hip-Hop history. Following this, K.R.I.T. hits us with an old school circa 1994 jam in ‘Get Right.’ ‘Get Right’ is a chill laid back bass heavy party song, which I can see being played all throughout summer. ‘Amtrak’ is next and is probably the worst song on the CD. This is not a bad thing though as it is still better than 75% of what is out today, it is just nothing special and could have been scrapped from the album. However, the song does feature heavy bass and transitions perfectly into the following song, “Player’s Ballad” featuring the voice of the South: Raheem DeVaughn on the chorus.   

                ‘Another Naïve Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism’ has Big K.R.I.T. vowing to make a better life for himself for which he is proud. This is his way of telling the world he wants to be someone special and not just another nigger, which is an acronym for the songs title. This is one of the best songs on the album with amazing production which has Big K.R.I.T. rapping over trumpets. ‘Free My Soul’ is next and is a look into K.R.I.T.’s conscience. Spitting over a beautiful soulful piano, K.R.I.T. wonders aloud that even though he has achieved all the material items he ever coveted, is it enough for him to reach salvation. The next song on “Returnof4eva” is ‘The Vent’ and it is the song with the best lyrics and flow on the album. The first half of the song features a low beat which is reminiscent of something Wiz Khalifa would rhyme over with K.R.I.T. just spitting fire. Though for this half, the beat is low, the bass hits just as hard as the heavier tracks before it. The next half of the song switches up with the beat becoming louder and K.R.I.T. showing off his melodic singing. ‘The Vent’ is definitely a track where Big K.R.I.T.’s kingly persona comes out and is perfectly placed towards the end of the record. The last song ’Country Shit’ is a remix of one of K.R.I.T.’s most popular songs off his last mix tape and features both Ludacris and Bun B. It is here that Big K.R.I.T. solidifies his place as a great MC as he receives a major co-sign and raps the hardest on the track.

                “Returnof4eva” is definitely a game changing album. Although it is not a major release and was instead released for free, it shows Big K.R.I.T is deserving of all of the recognition he is receiving. With aspirations to entirely produce his full length major label debut, Big K.R.I.T. is on the verge of superstardom. However, there is a sense to K.R.I.T.’s work, that no matter how much mainstream success he receives, he will always remain true to himself and would never sell out. He is clearly influenced by those who have come before him and he uses their influence to shape his sound with their elements as well as his own. “Retunof4eva”, is a breath of fresh air and a record that definitely should be checked out. The replay value is incredibly high because of the different sounds you will experience due to the contradicting heavy bass and soulfulness on each record. Will Big K.R.I.T. be an artist that will be remembered in time remains to be seen, but the future is bright for him and I highly recommend this album and will be listening to it a lot in the upcoming months.   

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Recommended Songs:  Dreamin’, Get Right, Another Naïve Individual Glorifying Greed & Encouraging Racism, The Vent, Country Shit Remix

Wiz Khalifa "Rolling Papers" review

Being a fellow environmentalist, “Rolling Papers” has been a record that I have been eagerly anticipating for a long time. Following the success of the massive “Kush & Orange Juice” mix tape, Wiz Khalifa seemed to become a household name overnight, beating both Nicki Minaj and J.Cole to win MTV’s Hottest MC of 2010, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, as well as releasing one of the top songs of yesteryear “Black and Yellow.”

               

                Backpacking off of the success of “Black and Yellow”, “Rolling Papers” has been released with much hype behind it and Wiz delivers with a solid major label debut. Putting my excitement behind me, I listened to “Rolling Papers” with an open mind, careful not to proclaim it an instant classic before I gave it a thorough listen. While “Rolling Papers” is not an instant classic, it is a strong album which features fun, catchy songs with big choruses. Wiz mixes it up nicely with his melodic format that showcases both his rapping and singing style, which is enough to satisfy fans of Wiz before and after the “Kush & Orange Juice” era. The album is easy to listen to all the way through and most importantly does not contain any filler. Every song maintains an element of replay value and the reason for that is the approach Wiz takes on all the songs. The composition of the album follows a rhyme and chorus arrangement but this works for Wiz considering he has a knack for creating memorable sing-a-long choruses that are easy to follow upon the first time hearing them. While nobody will ever confuse Wiz for being Jay-Z or Lupe Fiasco, his rhymes and flow are solid enough to carry the song until the chorus hits, where he will win you away.

                “Rolling Papers” opens up with a calm, piano lullaby which gradually builds into a triumphant swagger filled song about living life for today and enjoying the present at every moment before closing with the same piano harmony on “When I’m Gone.” This song sets the theme of “Rolling Papers” perfectly as the album is a testament to Wiz Khalifa’s hard work and struggle to make it to the top and he does not shy away from proclaiming it at every chance he gets. The next song on the record, “On My Level” features Too Short as a guest and is the first song on the record about Wiz Khalifa’s carefree lifestyle. This song is the perfect example of the catchy non complicated choruses Wiz is able to create as he croons over the Jim Jonsin produced beat. Up next are the two songs I’m sure everyone by now has heard: “Black and Yellow” and “Roll Up.” Both songs were produced by Stargate and they are two of the strongest songs on “Rolling Papers.” “Black and Yellow” was one of the biggest songs of 2010 being played everywhere, especially during the Pittsburgh Steelers run to the SuperBowl, and has been remixed numerous times by countless artists. “Roll Up” on the other hand, is the second single from the album and is a clever play on words. Contrary to what fans of Wiz would expect from a song barring this title, the song is instead a song for the females and a strong one at that, again containing a mighty chorus.

 From here, “Rolling Papers” makes a turn as it moves away from the high energy production and settles in on more of a “Kush and Orange Juice” type of vibe. These are the best smoking songs on “Rolling Papers”, and feature spacely production with heavy bass perfect for lighting up. Of these four, “The Race” and “Wake Up” are the strongest with the former containing a Biggie Smalls inspired skit at the end and the latter once again featuring production from Stargate containing a memorable chorus.

                Immediately following these four songs, Wiz hits us with “No Sleep” a poppy high energy song produced by Benny Blanco the creator of Katy Perry’s summer hit “California Gurls.” Again with all songs on “Rolling Papers”, “No Sleep” features a great chorus and I believe it could be perfect for radio later in the year as a third or fourth single off the album. From this point on, “Rolling Papers” gets more creative as evident by “Get Your Shit”, the next song on the record. “Get Your Shit” caught me off guard as it shows a completely different side of Wiz, I had never heard before. There is more anger on this one breakup song then anything Wiz had done throughout his career and he pulls off this risk nicely. However, Wiz hits a bump in the road with “Top Floor.” Wiz usually has an aptitude for choosing great production to rhyme over, but for some reason he chose a beat featuring a loud and annoying, repetitive sample which is distracting and ultimately hinders the song. The beat feels like it drives the track, placing Wiz in the background which is opposite of what I wanted to hear on his debut. The creativity continues on the next song “Fly Solo.” This song has Wiz rapping over a ska influenced beat featuring drums and a guitar and is one of the catchiest songs on the record. Fans of any genre of music will enjoy this song as it offers something for everyone due to its lighthearted nature. “Rooftops” comes next and features New Orleans rapper Curren$y on the track. Back in 2009, Wiz and Curren$y released a mix tape together and it showed they had great chemistry. “Rooftops” is another clear example of that, as the two effortlessly flow over the beat and create one of the stronger songs on the album.  “Rolling Papers” concludes with “Cameras”, a song which has been released for a couple of months now but is a good choice to wrap the album up. Everything Wiz has been through since his rise in popularity over the last couple of months is addressed here and shows just how far the man has come in the short time.

While there is still a lot of room for growth, “Rolling Papers” is an enjoyable release that should make fans of Wiz Khalifa happy. The album is mostly fun and full of positive energy and is an easy listen all the way through. All of the songs flow nicely from one to the next while still containing enough variety to keep the listener on their toes and maintain a level of replay value. One of the elements about “Rolling Papers” which I really enjoyed was the fact that the spotlight always remained on Wiz and never ventured off to a different part of the album. The album does not feature any big time guests or producers and is instead a true solo album, focusing completely on Wiz Khalifa. Something which surprised me about the record was that it did not feature a true smoker’s anthem. I was expecting to hear at least one song solely about marijuana but weed was not Wiz’s focus this time around. Instead, “Rolling Papers” ventures out into different themes and creates a different journey delving deeper into the Wiz Khalifa persona. Although I do respect Wiz for choosing hometown producers who have helped him achieve all his fame and fortune, I would still like to hear him work with some of the major players in the game, such as Just Blaze or DJ Premier to help shape his sound in the future. While it is not an instant classic album, “Rolling Papers” is still a strong showing worthy of the fame Wiz has recently found and is an enjoyable record to burn one and relax too. Overall, “Rolling Papers” is a solid 3.5 stars out of five.

3.5 Stars out of 5.

Recommended Songs: Black N Yellow, Roll Up, Fly Solo, Rooftops

Red Cafe "Above The Cloudz" Review

Shakedown! 

For over a decade, Red Cafe has been one of the most consistent rappers from NYC, and he continues his success with his new street album “Above The Cloudz.” The prequel to his long awaited debut album, “Above The Cloudz” is filled with witty punch-lines and clever metaphors showing Red Cafe at his finest. 

The album opens up like a movie and even has various best of the Joker skits from the Dark Knight throughout. The skits fit in nicely and help transition from song to song, even though they offer nothing to the record. The beats are on point featuring the classic New York City sound and Red Cafe spits over them like a man possessed and hungry to release his first mainstream album. 

Punch lines have always been Red Cafe's strongpoint and he does not disappoint on “Above The Cloudz.” Red spits such gems as “Flow sharper than Steve Harvey's hairline, And I smoke good either kush or the dro, getting high 'til I feel a fucking cloud on my toe. Yea. Perfect view of the world, I'm looking down at much more than a nigga's girl” on the Curren$y assisted “Everyday's A Weekend.” Red Cafe always stands out on the album and does not get overshadowed by any guests, even though he has an all star assemble such as Lloyd Banks, Fabolous, Talib Kweli and Rick Ross. On the chilled out Rick Ross featured track “Faded”, Ross and Red team up and deliver lines such as, “In the presence of a Don, be cautious but calm, Can't be faded, two pills a charm.” “Above The Cloudz” even samples the late Nate Dogg on the song “Put It In The Air” featuring Nate Dogg's infamous “Smoke Weed Everyday” line as Red Cafe makes an ode to the sweet leaf. “Coup got no top like Dr. Phil head. Pop champagne, the most celebrated. Blow purple biatch the most elevated.” Red even claims that he's higher than Smokey from Friday during the song.  

“Above The Cloudz” is the typical strong showing from Red Cafe. For years the man has been putting out hot joints, even getting airplay on mainstream radio with songs such as “Bling Blaow”, “Diddy Bop”, “Paper Touchin”, “Hottest In The Hood” and most recently “I'm Ill. ” Hopefully, 2011 will be the year his debut album finally gets released because Red Cafe is a good rapper and someone who deserves the exposure. Shakedown!

Based on the Beavis and Butt-Head scale: 

3 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads

Recommended Songs:

Above the Cloudz, Put It In The Air, Faded, The Realest