Hip Hop's Lost Relics

Let's rock!!!

If you grew up in the 90s, and didn't watch Legends of the Hidden Temple, then please consider your childhood null and void. That said, along with the funny team names, ubiquitous temple guards, and Olmec's weird catch phrases, the best part of the show was finding out about whatever treasure those retarded kids had to retrieve in the temple. It was always some feather, or a helmet or an item that we wouldn't bat an eyelash at today. That got me to thinking... If there was a 'Hip-Hop Legends of the Hidden Temple' what would some of the treasures be? Yeah... What are some of hip-hop's lost relics? Hit the comments if you think I missed something. *cue mystical, eerie music*


Drake's Blackberry

One of the most memorable tracks of 2009 was Drake's 'Say What's Real' off his So Far Gone mixtape. Drake waxed philosophical about being 'real (whatever that means) in hip-hop over Kanye's 'Say You Will'. At the end, Aubrey spits this gem:

Understand, I can get money with my eyes closed / Lost some of my hottest verses down in Cabo / So if you find a Blackberry with the side-scroll / Sell that motherf*cker to any rapper that I know

So... Where is Drake's famed lost Blackberry with the side-scroll? Has it been lost in the sand? Has some random Mexicano picked it up, erased everything and signed up on TelCel's Blackberry plan? Or has (insert rapper here) come up with it somehow and used the verses for his own diabolical purposes? We will never know...


Busta's dreads

For those of you who started listening to rap after 2006 (year?), Busta Rhymes did not always have a dark caesar with the grain. As a matter of fact, the first man of the FlipMode Squad used to look a whole lot crazier. Along with a knack for brightly colored bubble jackets, leather overalls and random exclamations on tracks, Bussa Buss was known for those locks. Flowing wild, much like his personality on wax, the dreads were put to rest in a now missing video promoting his 2006 album The Big Bang. To be honest, the locks are probably in some compost heap out in South Dakota by now, if not re-attached to some child's head via Locks for Love...


DMX's sanity

Contrary to popular belief and his sad position today, DMX was That Dude in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The dog had 5 platinum albums under his belt and was singlehandedly holding Def Jam up by its bootstraps at one point. Somewhere along the line, the miracle rock known as crack made its way into X's life, and the man's sanity has been lost ever since. A failed BET series, numerous arrests that would make COPS look like Law and Order, and 8 kids later, DMX and his sanity are nowhere to be found. I wish Drag-on was the lost one instead...


Juelz Santana's bandana

Among the pink Timbs and furs, swag splashers and skull apparel, there was a Dip Set fashion statement that flew under the radar yet over our heads at the same time. That, my friends, is Santana's bandana. What looked like a large paper towel crown draped over the head of a tall midget was actually the generic bandana that was synonymous with back pockets. Santana's bandana almost never seemed to fall out of its oddly-angled place, regardless of how many spastic 'A-YOO's' he threw out in his verses. Now that Juelz isn't Dip Set (is he or isn't he? This label BS needs to stop), the bandana has gone by the wayside.


The G-Unit Piece

Fresh off the success of his debut album 'Get Rich or Die Trying', 50 Cent had signed The Game and Young Buck to his G-Unit imprint. Curtis had buried Ja Rule into the dirt and like most fighters, needed a notch on his belt to make his victory complete. Thus birthed the G-Unit piece, complete with platinum and diamond encrusted EVERYTHING, and the spinning center. Of course we know that very piece was snatched at some point, with numerous people coming up as the owner (see above). The original chain's whereabouts are now unknown...

Any more pieces of hip-hop you think should be included? Use that little box below the post, please!

Lloyd Banks - Light Up Freestyle

Lloyd Banks - Light Up Freestyle

Is it safe to say that Lloyd Banks is one of the most underrated cats in the game? It seems like every time we count the man out, either due to 50's ego blotting out the sun or label woes (that should be a trending topic for rappers #labelwoes), Banks finds a way to jump start his career all over again. 'Beemer, Benz or Bentley' became an earworm this summer and now we're waiting on "The Hunger for More 2," which promises to be a hell of an album. Banks released this freestyle to Drake's 'Light Up' via ThisIs50 yesterday, and I'm in awe. Lloyd speaks on the state of the hip-hop game, his own personal issues and does some amazing work with his flow on the track. Hope we hear more heat from this man, because NYC rap is back on the way up from what I can tell...

Freestyle Friday (6/18)

What's up letter readers? Today is Friday and freestyles are the name of the game. This week I'm only gonna bless you guys with one freestyle video, but it is a humdinger (yes, I said humdinger; step your archaic slang game up). The cypher above features a YOUNG 50 Cent and Consequence, as well as Noreaga and a dude named Punchline, who happens to have the best lines in the whole cypher. I can't stress how ill this classic cypher is. It's always crazy to see rappers from today back in their underground/younger days. From the flows they're using to how they look (50 has that hustler's belly), to what they're wearing (check Noreaga in the Ecko hoodie!!), to the cinematography of the video, this cypher reeks of late 90's New York City swagger. It's like I'm back in 5th grade again. Plus, all four MC's destroy the beat (you can't say that about all group cyphers anymore). But enough reminiscing. Check out the freestyle, have a good Friday, and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

ItsTheReal - Def Jam Vendetta: Shyne vs. 50 Cent

ItsTheReal is at it again with their hip-hop comedy shorts. This time they take on Shyne and his ridiculous attempt to get back on by getting at 50 Cent. Now, 50 already has a problem with starting beef to boost his sales. But at least he's semi-good at it. Ja Rule hasn't been heard from since, and Fat Joe can't sell water in a desert these days. Shyne, however, comes out of the pen, puts out a few sub-par tracks with weird vocals, and goes at 50. And that's in the course of 2 weeks! By that virtue, ItsTheReal has a good call on the fight. Maybe if Shyne could put together a mixtape or something, he'd have a better chance. Otherwise, he's a 2nd round knockout. Check the video out...

Dear 50 Cent

See, I can respect that. I can respect candid and open commentary on a particular comment. 50, let's be real, your music has been lackluster as of late (since GRODT, actually). The Massacre was a massacre, and I don't even remember anything from Curtis but 'I Get Money'. And to be honest, the way The Game was rapping in 2004, even with your beats and production and help, he might have been able to get at you on wax. Even so, the business instinct you showed was truly remarkable. It comes off sounding like extortion, but I suppose in your terms, it's 'making the best out of a bad situation'.

The Game is a hothead. Anybody who's watched BET, listened to his music or been on a blog knows that. And Game also has had a lot of sideways shit happen to him in his life, that's ALL come up to bite him in the ass in the past few years. From being on that dating show, to being a stripper (can someone cite that for me?), to the random tattoos and his famous disses, Game has a lot of shaky behavior on his resume. While I still think you did him and Young Buck dirty, they've done a lot worse things for themselves than you have, especially when it comes to PR and promotion. Those two have more blog screw-ups than Charles Hamilton. You just managed to get to them before they could get to themselves. I guess in the long run, doing good business ultimately leads to the downfall of others around you. It's survival of the fittest, and anyone can respect that...