A room with a view

"Hey Sol, do you ever wonder at what point you just got to say fuck it man? Like when you gotta stop living up here, and start living down here?"
- Eminem from the film "8 Mile"

Greetings good people of MFC!

I know it's been so long since I've dropped in but I'm making the change to change that. I haven't done a blog in a while and when I did, I talked about my favorite rap songs. Last time I checked, I was still working the 80's. Still whittling away to get that number 1 spot. February was some kind of month. Lot of unexpected surprises and some left turns that are most likely going to bite me in the ass in the future, but I'm going to keep on going.

I recently got a chance to meet my niece's son. Brand new baby boy, kid is tiny. After meeting him and holding him in my arms, it dawned on me that it'd be great to be a Dad. It kind do freaks me out though, I mean just recently I took on a picnic with both my new grandson and my grandmother in attendance. In my Native American tradition, I am now saddled with the label "grandpa" now. It's a trip, ain't it? 31 years old and a grandpa. That's one for the record books.

I haven't really been to the theater in a couple of months. Last film I saw was "Bullet In The Head" and it just seems that lately...no films have satisfied my curiosity (except for "Stoker", GOTTA SEE THAT!)

Since my last film outing, I've been relegated to Netflix Instant and school work. I will admit that in my choice of career...which is reporting, I feel lately that I'm just not into it anymore and that really disturbs me. I've blown 2 deadlines this semester and my department instructor is getting the sense that I'm not taking journalism seriously anymore. I'm sensing it and it troubles me.

Lately, I've been occupying some time and injecting creative juices into music production. "Beat-making" as it's known in tight circles. What really surprised me...is just how fucking natural I am at doing it. Just like kickboxing, I've really taken a liking to it and I feel fired up again in what seems like forever. My lust for life is making me love life again and I love that!

I'm going to see Mos Def in concert this Thursday and the lady of my dreams is going to be sitting 10 seats away from me. I'm nervous, but I'm so excited, like high school-intimate giddy. I'm building it up too much, like I'm setting myself up for disappointment. I really want to make it work with this lady. She matches me and I would really like to take her out on a date someday. Only problem that I can foresee...women like her don't usually go for guys like me.

It's crazy to stress over stuff like that but I am only human and my emotions can get crazy sometimes. Times like these make me think about a scene from "Saturday Night Fever" where Manero sits there on the subway car and just reflecting on life, Stephanie, and Bobby taking a dive. Shit, I may only be 31 but I got a lot of growing up to do.

So with all that said, that's where I'm at. I'll be on as much as I can in the near future. Take care and Godspeed, MFC!

- Threat Poet

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 06:16 PM Mar 17

@ WalkAway - Yep, I love it. Grinding it out on the day-to-day puts me in an adventurous mood. It's great.

horrorfan23 at 03:32 AM Mar 18

Dancing to the Bee Gees down the street? Sounds like a great time.

Threat Poet at 06:15 AM Mar 18

@ horrorfan23 - It's always a good time when the Bee-Gees are involved.

Read all 4 comments >>

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #85: Nobody Beats The Biz

"I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out..."

Anyone who attains the title of "Clown Prince of Hip-Hop" must have one astoundingly creative personality. Biz Markie was one of the those rappers that you really kind of took a look at and dismissed because of how goofy-looking he was, but the very second you threw on one of his songs you were blown back by the shock that the same guy made such dope shit. This is one of those songs I like to throw on from time to time because it sounds so damn good. It reminds me that this gem knew how to properly utilize "Fly Like An Eagle" by The Steve Miller Band. The production was mainly due to The Juice Crew's very own DJ Marley Marl and it still holds up to this day. Want proof? Throw this track on at a random house party full of drunk people and sit back and watch the magic happen. Lesson to be learned: don't ever judge a book by its cover. Can't NOBODY beat the Biz!!

- Favorite Lyric -

"You know me as the B-I-Z-M-A-R-K-I-E-and
I go for what I know doin a show for human beings
I'm guaranteed to rock I make the ladies scream and shout
I'm bound to wreck your body and say turn the party out
The Mardi rapper toe-tapper always have it flowin
And when you hear the BizMarkie, I get the job done
Yes I'm the M-A-R the K-I-E you know that's me
I got the stutter step to keep in check my speed is so unique"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 09:38 AM Feb 07

Highspeed at 09:58 AM Feb 07

Love him! His cameo in Men in Black II was gold.

Dr.Frankenstein at 12:46 PM Feb 07

Ya can't dislike Biz.

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #86: Ego Trippin'

"Cause the beat is so funky the pace is well kept..."

Talk about most underrated. The pioneers of rap music that really were the first to do anything notable often get overlooked by the artist(s) that improved on it and did it better. Never count out the Ultramagnetic MC's as pioneers. In some cases they actually were the first to set some trends within the rap music industry. The Ultramagnetics made up of members Kool Keith, Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love came out of the Bronx and made a valuable impression on rap music. The most notable that I can think of is this song. Anyone familiar with a song called "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss? If you aren't familiar with it, youtube it. What's so special about that song is that it features a very familiar drum break pattern that has been heard in countless rap songs throughout the 80's and 90's.

Ultramagnetic MC's were the very first rap group to utilize that "Synthetic Substitution" sample in a song, and that song is "Ego Trippin'". This is one of those songs that brings an immediate smile to my face due to the fact that this is just how fucking good rap music used to sound back in the day and the promise that it can be this good again if you eliminated a certain level of wack artists in today's rap music industry. True heads will only get what I'm saying. The Ultramagnetic MC's were definitely one of a kind (and also the first group to utilize a song sample by Joe Cocker that is heavily used in a certain 2pac song about California). So if you ever feel the need to bob your head to a piece of rap history, give this song a listen to and turn up those speakers and just vibe to it...and smile.

-Favorite Lyric-

"They use the simple back and forth, the same, old rhythm
that a baby can pick up, and join, right with them
But their rhymes are pathetic, they think they copacetic
Using nursery terms, at least not poetic
on a educated base, intelligent wise
as the record just turn, you learn, PLUS burn
by the flame of the lyrics which cooks the human brain
Providing overheating knowledge, by means causing pain"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 12:07 PM Jan 15

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #87: I'm Shady

Back in the late 90's, 1998 to be a little more specific, no one had ever heard of Marshall Mathers or better yet Eminem. He was still just a barely visible blip on the rap music radar. That all changed when he got signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records label. From the time he released his first single "My Name Is", he opened up a door to an immediate legion of fans who were ready to roll with the new kid on the block. I mean think about it, a very gifted lyrical rap artist backed up by Dr. Dre on the boards, talk about a very explosive combination. And now so many years later, he's still making music that every rap fan can embrace and make their own. He really broke the mold and made it possible to blur the color lines of the mostly African-American dominated rap industry. This song really went ahead and showcased exactly who Slim Shady was. From the thumping drum pattern that encapsulates the whole song along with a sing-songey chorus that got ingrained in your head after a few listens, it would be proven that this wasn't the end for Marshall Mathers but merely the beginning.

-Favorite Lyrics-

"People don't buy shit no more they just dub it
That's why I'm still broke and had the number one club hit (Yup, uh huh)
But they love it when you make your business public
so fuck it, I've got herpes while we on the subject (uh-huh)
And if I told you I had AIDS y'all would play it
cause you stupid motherfuckers think I'm playin' when I say it

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 11:43 AM Jan 13

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #88: Dopeman

Back in the 80's nobody was expecting a rap group like N.W.A. It was unheard of at the time for rap groups to cuss heavily in their songs. Even the concept of the song was a bit harsh for general audiences at the time. For people who grew up in the inner city neighborhoods, this was nothing new to anyone. But boy, did this song bump out like a certified motherfucker. With tight production by Dr. Dre and vocals provided mainly by Ice Cube, this was that song that got everybody hyped. Whether it was at a house party or cruising down the street with the windows rolled down, you could hear this song and immediately get turned on to it. The whole song was a tale about a the day-to-day exploits of a crack dealer. Listening to it today brings back the nostalgia of late 80's gangster rap. It was utilized to its full effect in the film "Menace II Society" during the crack cooking scene. Very powerful scene and an even more powerful song. It was a realistic look at a time and place. Those were the days.

-Favorite Lyric-

"Poppin' that trash might get you fucked up
We'll sit and cry, if the dopeman strike you
He don't give a fuck he got two just like you
There's another girl in the dopeman's life
Not quite a bitch but far from a wife
She's called Strawberry and everybody know
Strawberry Strawberry is the neighborhood ho"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 12:08 PM Jan 10

Cochise at 12:18 PM Jan 10

nice!!

timmyd at 04:23 PM Jan 10

one of my favorite tracks ...ever !!

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #89: Hey Lover

LL Cool J had always been a staple of the music scene ever since the mid-80's when he came bursting through with his first album "Radio" on the immortal Def Jam Records imprint. But this was 1995 and with a new album entitled "Mr. Smith", he had to prove to the rap world that he was still bigger and deffer in the 90's. This single which included R&B group Boys II Men on the vocals lent a softer side to the rugged exterior of James Todd Smith. After all, this was the same cat that unleased "Mama Said Knock You Out" 4 years previously. This was that song that was smooth enough to make the ladies fantasize and every man identify with crushing on that certain someone from afar. You could certainly smell the sex in the air during that time. Play it now and you just make catch a fleeting whiff of that special time.

- Favorite Lyric -

"Undying passion unites our souls
together we swam until the point of no control
but its a fantasy you won't come true
we never even spoke and your man swear he love you
so I'ma keep all these feelings inside
keep my dreams alive until the right time"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 10:37 AM Jan 08

MrsData at 12:00 PM Jan 08

I love this one. LL knew how to be sexy and rap unlike today's bunch of fools.

timmyd at 01:10 PM Jan 08

great stuff , Love me some LL COOL J . This is a great track .

Threat Poet: Update 2013

Greetings and Happy New Year, MFC!!

First of all, I want to let you know that I've surpassed the 2 year mark here at Movie Fan Central and not a dull moment has been shared.

My apologies to all for not being around here as much during the holidays and most recently. I was away on vacation and I over strained my lower back muscles and it has been excruciating. But, I'm getting better, I can hardly feel the pain at all.

Since this is the new year, I've decided to turn over a new leaf and do away with some vices that I used to indulge in (mainly Alcohol). I've decided to put down the bottle and regain the person I once was and at the same time reform and reshape myself entirely.

I'm not getting any younger...but I still feel young in spirit. I'm still playful and I love the line-up of films that I've seen in 2012. I look forward to the films of this brand new year with eager anticipation.

With all that said, I will be releasing my "Best of 2012" list really soon. Forgive me if some of your favorites of the year aren't on that list. The primary reasons being that I haven't seen it yet or I don't have any interest in them at all. So check it out, I urge you.

Lastly, I've still got 89 more songs to countdown in my "Favorite 100 Rap Songs" list. I will start releasing these soon as well.

With all that said...I want to say THANK YOU. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this community and for putting up with some of my past bullshit and inner demon speak (It was the booze). Thank you for a great two years here at MFC.

TO GOOD HEALTH, GREAT TIMES, and EXCELLENT EXPERIENCES AT THE THEATER!!

- Threat Poet

Mood: Happy

Threat Poet at 02:07 PM Jan 05

@ Lord Raiden - Thank you so much, pal. I appreciate the sentiment.

@ MrsData - Thanks on wishing me luck on ceasing with my vices. It really means a lot.

@ jimmydevito - Going to get it going again soon. No sleep!

@ WalkAway - Thanks, WalkAway...that really means a lot coming from you.

timmyd at 10:02 AM Jan 07

great news Buddy . Not droppin' the Herb I hope . Lookin' forward to your list , and the rest of the Rap countdown !!

Laksmikanti at 05:42 AM Jan 08

I am late to the party but is always to read some inspiring blogs when people want a fresh start with responsibility and positivism. Great for you T.

Read all 7 comments >>

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #90: Everything Remains Raw

I miss the Busta Rhymes of my era. He was always wild and spontaneous and the kind of cat that would bring the party to a party. Always being the rowdiest cat in rap music was a feat that didn't come too easily to Trevor Smith. As a former member of rap group "Leaders of the New School", Busta is no stranger to the rap game. After gaining some exposure on some guest tracks after L.O.N.S.'s break-up, he really went in with some film work during the mid-90's. This track off of his first solo album entitled "The Coming" has always been a favorite of mine. I remember buying the single to "Woo-Ha! Got You All In Check" and remember the cd including this song as well. This track is a definite banger and should be played at loud volume for maximum effect.

-Favorite Lyric-

"Yo, when I step in the place I leave damages
Nuff bandages on pussy from miscarriages
Yo, watch me bring the newest recipe
Fuck you up quick and condemn you all with leprosy
Let me hit you with flows, that come various
Hahh, send you home and make you lie bout your alias"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 12:00 PM Dec 12

klinteastwood at 12:55 PM Dec 12

aww shit son..this one is definitely raw

Threat Poet at 03:56 PM Dec 12

@ klinteastwood - It's 90's era Busta Rhymes. It don't get no rawer than that.

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #91: Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Ghetto Bastard)

I love Naughty by Nature. I consider them to be a rap group of legendary status from New Jersey. I discovered these cats around 5th grade and they never get old to me. With a line-up that includes Treach, VinRock, and DJ Kay Gee they are the one rap group that walked the fine line between pop charts and a hardcore rap style. This track off their first album tells the tale of growing up on the hard side of life among peers within a war zone. It offered a glimpse into the lives of these guys and their upbringing. I've always felt that this was a deeply personal song to them and I commend this crew from New Jersey for it. The chorus was always a favorite because it was an interpolation of Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry". Singers singing the proclamation of hope being "Everything's gonna be alright..." This is the heart of what rap music has been. Especially hardcore rap.

-Favorite Lyric-

"I threw in graves, I wasn't paid enough
I kept 'em long 'cause I couldn't afford a haircut
I got laughed at, I got chumped, I got dissed
I got upset, I got a Tec and a banana clip"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 11:43 AM Dec 12

Cochise at 11:48 AM Dec 12

nice, haven't heard this tune forever man. So good. Love the background vocals and the horns in the beat. I assume OPP will be lower down on the list?

Threat Poet at 12:02 PM Dec 12

@ Cochise - You've assumed correctly, Sir. Enjoy...

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #92: Pistol Grip Pump

When it comes to one hit wonders of rap, you don't have to go far to seek them out. Their hit song is usually evidence that leads to the usual question of "what happened to them?" Volume 10 has that distinction. But this song, in all it's West Coast bass-driven funk is their legacy. The instrumental is all beat-heavy and bassed out and its chorus of "Pistol grip pump on my lap at all times" is so fucking intense. I don't know if a film ever utilized this song, if no film hasn't, it should be. Featured on the video game "Def Jam: Fight For New York" and covered by Rage Against the Machine at one time. This is West Coast rap at it's nihilistic finest.

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 10:13 AM Dec 08

Cochise at 10:21 AM Dec 08

hell yes! I just discovered the Rage version a few years back, actually love it more than this but still this is good stuff

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #93: Gimme The Loot

I love Biggie Smalls. Up until that time in the 90's, there never really was a plus-sized rapper out there that made you feel good about yourself and that's what I loved about him. Christopher Wallace was proof that you could be fat and ugly and still get some play from the ladies...of course you had to have fat pockets and all that but that didn't matter. I was entering my freshman year of high school when his now classic "Ready to Die" album came out and I was hooked on it. I could tell it was going to be a classic from the first time I heard it. The first song that clued me into this was Biggie's tale of money woes and getting paper by any means necessary. It was a song about robbing people and I loved it, the beat, the words...it was grimey as fuck. While everybody else in my freshman class were all hooked on west coast rap, I was bumping this in my headphones. Great times.

-Favorite Lyric-

"You're talking to the robbery expert
Stepping to your wake with your blood on my shirt
Don't be a jerk and get smoked over being resistant
cause when I lick shots the shits is persistent"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 05:50 AM Dec 06

klinteastwood at 01:15 PM Dec 06

showin the east coast some love i see..

timmyd at 01:44 PM Dec 06

Biggie .

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #94: Guarantees

I myself cannot begin to tell you about the love I have for Atmosphere. This song which is pretty much bare bones in its play is pretty much introspective. It comes off an album called "When Life Hands You Lemons, Paint That Shit Gold". I like to think that this song was the masterpiece on the whole album. Backed by just a simple guitar, this rap song makes you think. I love rap songs like this. Just Sean Daley and a guitar and its reminder of "the only guarantee in life is a life worth dying for" make me smile because it is so fucking real. Makes me think about the film "Rocky".

Mood: Chillin'

timmyd at 06:46 AM Dec 04

bare bones brilliance , love this song .

Threat Poet at 10:12 AM Dec 04

@ timmyd - Makes me think of the original "Rocky" movie with Stallone.

elmariachi01 at 03:41 PM Dec 07

Love me some atmosphere

Read all 4 comments >>

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #95: Hood Took Me Under

Now I know a lot of you young cats will most likely associate this song with "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" and that's alright. Because if it wasn't for the wise music selection heads at Rockstar Games, nobody would've ever discovered this song. Back in 1987, a gangsta rap crew from Compton, CA made up of MC Eiht, MC Chill, and Boom Bam formed "Compton's Most Wanted". I always dug these guys because they would incorporate a lot of 70's R&B/Soul samples on their beats. Such as this song which samples "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes which is an all-time favorite of mine. I must admit that I've had a lot of fun playing "GTA: San Andreas" just driving around and bumping this song. MC Eiht would go on to a solo career as well as some acting. He's mostly known for playing Ajax in "Menace II Society". He's a good dude as well as most of the cats the made up Compton's Most Wanted. Crank it up loud on the real...

-Favorite Lyric-

"Pop pop pop, drops the sucker
if he's from another hood I gots ta shoot the mutherfucker.
Jyeah I'm in it to win it and can't quit.
Fool, and ready die for this shit.
One times can't fade the gang tuff.
Puttin my foot in your ass to make times rough.
I'm the neighbourhood terror but I never wondered
that the hood would take me under."

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 12:15 PM Dec 03

timmyd at 01:33 PM Dec 03

haven't heard this until now , kickin' track tho' Pal .

Threat Poet at 05:22 PM Dec 03

@ timmyd - Thank you, pal.

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #96: Gimme That Nut

Gotta love some Eazy-E. Back in the early 90's Eazy-E was enbroiled in a feud with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. So he took it upon himself to release an EP dedicated to dissing the Chronic-loving shit out of Dr. Dre, Death Row and company. This song was included on the album and while it made no mention of Eazy's nemesis at that time, it found a collective spot in every rap fan's heavy rotation list. This is that one song that came out during my teenage years that made me memorize the words because it was so damn catchy and funny. In short, this song is most likely Eazy's ode to getting laid. Which is kind of funny to me because the guy died of AIDS in 1995. Play this song sometime at a house party and people will either look at each other all dumbstruck or get on the dancefloor and start workin' it. Good stuff.

-Favorite Lyric-

" Okay back back to the fuckin' basics
You got yours and mine ya want tah taste it
Open wide oh no don't 'cha waste it
Oh shit all over ya face, kid"

Mood: Chillin'

Cochise at 12:49 PM Dec 03

for sure. Used to listen to Eazy's solo stuff all the time back in the day in *high* school haha

timmyd at 01:29 PM Dec 03

A Buddy used to play the shite outta this tune , great track .

Threat Poet at 05:24 PM Dec 03

@ Cochise - Eazy was the illest.

@ timmyd - A very great fucking tune...

Read all 6 comments >>

Threat Poet's 100 Favorite Rap Songs #97: On Them Thangs

Back in the 90's...Ice Cube had an associate by the name of Mack 10. Believe me when I tell you that if you were a fan of west coast rap this cat was a beast when he dropped his first album. This song which heavily samples "Mary Jane" by Rick James became a heavy staple on video stations like BET and The Box. The video which was a front row seat to lowrider culture in Southern LA was a favorite to watch. It had everything you wanted in a video: really nice cars doing lowrider tricks and The Mary Jane Girls singing the chorus. It wouldn't be too long before Mack 10 would link up with Ice Cube and WC to form "Westside Connection" which would bring him more popularity. He even married T-Boz from TLC at one point in his life. She divorced him and put a restraining order on him because Mack couldn't stop going upside her head. So let it be known, this is probably the only solo Mack 10 song to be featured on this list because Domestic Violence ain't fuckin' cool, ya dig?

-FAVORITE LYRIC-

"It don't stop for Mack, it's the same ol' same ol'
Danas gold as I lay low, twisting like a tornado
in that surplus gear like the G of the year
Fuck the hour, it's all about the money and the power
Ain't about set trippin' no bloodin' no crippin'
Just dippin' hittin' switches knockin' hood rat bitches"

Mood: Chillin'

Threat Poet at 11:44 AM Dec 03