Freestyle Friday (1/14)

Okay, so Freestyle Friday kinda went by the wayside to begin the new year. No need to worry though, Dear Whoever's got you covered to go into the weekend with two freestyles to rock to. The first one is by Lupe Fiasco on 97.3 in Connecticut. As always, Wasalu goes off the top and puts most rappers to shame. I wouldn't say it's his hottest freestyle ever, but compared to the dire lack of good ciphers out ther, Lu stands head and shoulders above most. The second one is by my new favorite rapper Show TuFli on Deal With No Deal Radio (#shoutout to Hunter College). Show does a three minute, swagger-laced verse a capella and has the guys in the studio going nuts with his punchlines. I'm still looking for a mixtape or a serious release, but TuFli's consistency is something to marvel at. Check out both freestyles and keep your browsers locked to Dear Whoever. Happy Friday people!!!

Freestyle Friday (11/19)

Okay, so I didn't have a Freestyle Friday last week. Sue me. This week we've got three dope freestyle verses to whet your palates with. The first one is by Diggy Simmons who's fresh off a mixtape release and a huge commercial deal with AT&T. He takes a stab at Mobb Deep's 'Shook Ones' with some impressive results. Diggy has a very unique flow and does a good job fitting a lot into one bar. Illiterate heads might have a problem. The second verse is by none other than Al-Quaeda Jada, who's got a new mixtape called 'I Love You' in the works and decided to release his verse on Mysonne's 'Tape Rock' as a solo freestyle. Jada always seems to do well on uptempo beats and this is no different. The Yonkers representer spits pure heat rocks and takes shots at some of the fakers out there. The third one is from XV over J. Cole's 'Blow Up'. Though I hate when rappers freestyle over tracks that aren't even a week old, Vizzy did his thing on it. The only caveat with him is that he doesn't have the easiest flow to follow. XV is notorious for having drawn out metaphors and the such, so proceed with caution. Check out all three freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (11/5)

Hey people, it's Friday which means Dear Whoever is posting freestyles for your listening pleasure. Today we've got Lupe Fiasco up first, dropping some freestyle bars while on Tony Touch's radio show. Lupe doesn't go too hard. He seems a little laid back, if not tired, but manages to piece together a half-decent verse. The second freestyle is by the homie Diggy Simmons over the beat "Rising to the Top". It's an interesting cipher for two reasons: 1) the random, but well-intentioned, Uncle Murda cosign, and 2) the instrumental, which is well before Diggy's time. Even in lieu of #2, Diggy does the beat justice. Check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Hot 97 Freestyle - Kanye West & Pusha T

Hot 97 Freestyle - Kanye West & Pusha T

Honestly, I would've waited until Freestyle Friday to post this, but this freestyle was 2dope. I suppose due to tenure, Funkmaster Flex's show has become the new stepping stone into relevance for hip-hop nowadays. Today, Flex offered the airwaves to Kanye West, and (essentially) hip-hop's million-dollar man, Pusha T. After a quick chat session, Pusha and Ye spit two VICIOUS writtens, that had the trio cracking up mid-line. Though I'm a bit disappointed at how many of the G.O.O.D. Friday tracks ended up on the album, Ye's definitely going all out to push it. And Pusha... (psshhhh) No words. Just check the freestyle...

Freestyle Friday (10/22)

Hey people. It's a bit late today, but you know I couldn't leave you on Friday with no freestyles to go into the weekend with. Even so, I'll keep it short and sweet. Today we've got Curren$y the Hot Spitta throwing down some bars and shooting the sh*t with with Selector Online Magazine. The only reason I recognized this was because Spitta was wearing the same fit he had on in his video for Audio Dope II. Yes, that's a bit weird and somewhat meticulous, but I suppose fans of Curren$y have an eye for things of that nature. The second one is by a New York artist by the name of Yonas. To tell you the truth, I've been sleeping on Yonas for the longest. The homie Deadstock Ric has been trying to put people on to Yonas for weeks, but I finally gave this freestyle of his a listen and immediately became a fan. He's got a few funny metaphors and it seems like his presence is larger than life. Can't wait to see what else he's got up his sleeve. Check out both freestyles...

Freestyle Friday (10/15)

What's up Dear Whoever faithful? Friday equals freestyles and we've got a few unorthodox ones on deck today. The first one is by Aleon Craft, an ATL representer. Now, Aleon Craft's been doing his solo thing for a few years, but is finally about to explode onto the scene with an October 28th release date for his 'On the Verge' project. He alludes to it on this almost-a capella freestyle. I must say, the man has a way with words and isn't like the rest of his Atlanta brethren, saturated with swag raps. I'm curious to hear what he's saying. The second freestyle is from a hip-hop oldhead. Skillz has been an industry ghostwriter and personality for years now, but decided to take matters into his own hands after seeing the BET Cyphers at the Hip-Hop Awards this week. He drops his own version of the cypher, complete with background cronies, hilarious punchlines and even a few props. Ironically, the day he put this out, he was signed almost immediately to be in next year's BET Hip-Hop Awards Cypher. Funny what some lyricism can do for a rapper, isn't it. Anyway, check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (10/8)

Hey people, Friday on Dear Whoever is synonymous with FREESTYLES, so here we go. This week I've got Iron Solomon in the studio with Tony Touch on Toca Tuesdays going crazy with the punchlines. He had Tony laughing for half of the verse and seemed at home in front of the mic and camera, unlike a lot of battle rappers turnt regular rappers. The second freestyle is by Al-Quaeda Jada and The Ghost, Styles P. The two D-Block constituents tried their hands at Kanye's 'So Appalled' with explosive results. How these two aren't in 'Top (insert number here) in Hip-Hop' conversations is beyond me. Whatever the case, both ciphers are tough. Check them out and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (8/3)

Hey people. Friday equals freestyles and these two are at two different ends of the spectrum in terms of the rap radar. The first one is by the homie The Kid Daytona over at Tony Toca's radio show. I've been trying to put heads on to Daytona since I've started this blog, but I think they're finally starting to take notice. He drops off a nice (written) verse about his struggles in the industry, and glow-wise I don't think too many up-and-comers are messing with him. Daytona can do the swaggerific raps, but he definitely excels at the introspective. The second one is from Mac Miller, as he stops at YRB radio and drops a freestyle about his lifestyle as of late, complete with swag raps, fast women, and tons of mind-altering substances. I'm not going to knock the young man though, because he can actually spit, and keeps impressing me with his freestyles. Now if only his mixtape was up to snuff. Whatever the case, check out both freestyles

Freestyle Friday (8/27)

Hey, what's up people? It's Friday, so we've got freestyles, albeit a little late in the day. I'll keep it quick. The first cypher is by Ab-Liva and the Clipse on Shade 45. Let me tell you this: Pusha's verse (please tell me you know the difference between the two) is PIFF. I honestly don't know of any rappers in the game who can do coke raps like the Thornton brothers. The second freestyle is a relative newcomer, who I really don't have a lot of info on. Omen hails from Dreamville Records, the imprint of one of my favorites, J. Cole. He doesn't disappoint his flag in this freestyle to Jigga's 'Dear Summer'. Who knew Fayettenam was holding heaters like this? Check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (8/20)

What's up people? Friday equals freestyles. I'm not going to bore you with a bunch of chat today, because you guys already know the deal. Today we've got a newcomer posted up. Mac Miller is an 18 year old Rostrum Records signee, and travelled to Tony Touch's studio for his famous Toca Tuesdays freestyle series on Sirius Radio. Mac just released his mixtape K.I.D.S. (Kickin Incredibly Dope Sh*t), which I overlooked after hearing two tracks. This freestyle says different. He might very well get another listen now, because he shut down Toca Tuesday. The second cypher is from Joell Ortiz on Funk Flex's spot on Hot 97. I knew this was going to be a problem when Flex mentioned Five Guys Burgers, and Joell didn't disappoint, going 5 minutes straight about the state of the industry. If anyone from Slaughterhouse blows up, it needs to be Joell. He's been the most consistent and best member of the collective for the past year. It's only right he get some shine. With cyphers like this, he needs to be on your radar. The third one is by an oldie but goodie: Charles Hamilton. Chuck hasn't been well recently (mad rumors of his mental health declining and drug problems), but that didn't stop the Harlemite from dropping 27 (yes, 27!) minutes of off-the-top wizardry. You can't deny this man's aptitude for rapping. If he isn't considered one of the best youngsters in the game, I don't know who is. For all of the bad times surrounding Charles, he can go bar for bar with the best of them. I wish Charles all the best, because such a talented soul should be in his best faculties. Check out all three cyphers and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (8/13)

It's Friday, which means freestyles. You guys know that. But it's also Friday the 13th, which means we're gonna do something a little different. Today we're going to enter..... (gasp) The Freestyle Twilight ZOOOONE. No, seriously. Today we've got Vado on VLADTV dropping off a 16 going a capella. Honestly, Vado surprises me all the time. He's got a few slick lines in this freestyle, which is a far cry from some of the simple stuff he spits sometimes. 'Slime Flu' still doesn't have a release date, but I suppose when you're going hard on the promo like V-12, you can afford some procrastination. Now, for the scary, eerie, Twilight Zone freestyle. Cassidy might as well make his next promo picture a milk carton. He has been MIA in the rap game for over a year now. You'd suppose the next freestyle he'd come out with would be pure piff... No. It isn't. In fact, that's the eerie part. Cass has slipped so far that he has to resort to using a tired, Roscoe Dash flow. -_____- I hope he's just been smoking too much and this isn't what we're going to see from here on out. Whatever the case, enjoy both freestyles, for the lines and the laughs...

Add-2 - Getting Up Freestyle

Add-2 - Getting Up Freestyle

You ever hear about an artist all the time, but never see any music from them? Add-2 is that artist for me. I've always heard freestyles and random guest spots on other mixtapes from him, but I've yet to hear a full work from him since I've been blogging. I guess the blogging/music god heard my prayers, because Add-2 is set to drop his new mixtape 'Tale Of Two’s City v.4: Better Days' later this summer. This freestyle won't be on the tape, but it's a good chance to showcase a new face from the Chicago scene, and see how nasty he gets on wax. I said this the first time I featured Add-2, but he reminds me a lot of Lupe. Maybe it's the glasses, or maybe it's the lyricism. Whatever the case, dude spits straight heat rocks over Q-Tip's 'Getting Up'...

Shawn Caliber - 24 Hours to Live Freestyle

A logo to most.. A banner for a genre


S-Cal - 24 Hours to Live Freestyle

Two days ago, I had somewhat (I say somewhat because I kind of already knew) of a revelation: NYC hip-hop, while starting to have somewhat of a resurgence, isn't making moves. Our region has fallen by the wayside either due to silly beefs, bad albums or just general inactivity. Besides Jay-Z, I can't see any NYC rappers out here getting the numbers or press that they should. It's almost as if NYC has grown complacent with it's hip-hop, content to rest on the laurels of its innovators, rather than carry on tradition. I question whether the likes of Big L, Biggie and Big Pun (RIP) would be pleased to see the city that they left and the music that came from it. I'm not too sure if they would be, so I started tweeting, airing my grievances with NYC hip-hop and it's latency. From those tweets, a challenge was issued:


Shawn Caliber answered that call, and with the quickness. I shot him over the instrumental of the classic featuring Ma$e, DMX and the Lox, and he came up with a freestyle detailing what he would do with his last 24 on this planet. I'm not going out on a limb and saying NYC rap will be back tomorrow (it's far from that). Yet, with artists like S-Cal on the come-up, it's hard to see the city being down on its luck for much longer. Check out the homie Shawn Caliber ripping up '24 Hours to Live' with a nice 16...

PS: Be on the lookout for #NewYorkTimes... Don't say I never told you

Freestyle Friday (7/23)

Hey people!!!! Friday means Freestyles, if you didn't know. We've got two up-and-comers this week, spitting flames over hot instrumentals. The first one is by Skewby, over Dirty Money's 'Angels'. Honestly, Skewby might have one of the most underrated repertoires in the underground right now. He rips every song or cipher I hear him in, and his content is always on point. The Tennessee native has to be on your radar now. The second one is from another guy who should be on your radar, Laws. I wasn't too keen on Laws after listening to his 4:57 mixtape, but here, in this freestyle over Outkast's 'ATLiens', he makes a fan of me. The concept behind his past work has been just that: work. This freestyle is about his last days of working a 9-5 and the wackness that ensues in such a job. His new mixtape, 5:01, is definitely getting a listen now. Check out both dope freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever....

Freestyle Friday (7/16)

Last week, I left you guys high and dry with the Freestyle Friday post. This week, I've got three fresh ciphers for you to sink your teeth (ears) into. The first one is by Curren$y, as an exclusive for HardKnocks TV. I must say, Spitta is on another level right now. His flow and wordplay are entirely too tight, and I know he's surprising a lot of cats out there. Pilot Talk is in stores now, so he's probably still riding high off that. The second one is by AC, who's 'buzztape,' Send the Scouts Out, dropped yesterday (review on the way). It's on Crack Distributors Radio, so you've got to listen closely to drown out the background noise and hear all of the punchlines this guy has got. I think his style is a little corny, but he still has lines for days. The third one is by Laws, who raps over The Pharcyde's "Passing Me By" about his last day of working a 9-5 office job. I couldn't help but sympathize with the brother, though he actually quit his. The story is almost too real to be true. #shoutout to office blues that make everything else seem that much hotter. Whatever your employment status, check all the freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

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 (7/2)

What's up people!?! It's Freestyle Friday and we've got two great ciphers for you to dig into. The first one is by Peedi Crack at Official Street Radio. He's rapping for well over 8 minutes and surprises everyone by rocking with an old school flow to some 80's beats that they threw on. Peedi might not ever blow up like we thought, but he can definitely go in on the microphone. The second one is by Big KRIT on Toca Tuesdays. I wasn't really sold on him before hearing this cipher. KRIT just reeks of vintage Southern hip-hop. I like how he rides a beat. His last mixtape is getting a download now. Check out both of these freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (6/25)

Friday equals freestyles on this blog, and though a little late, we got two nice ones for y'all. The first one is by Vado on Funkmaster Flex's show on Hot 97. My jaw dropped when I heard this one. Vado must have spit about 120 bars during that cipher, all of which were pifftastic. 'The type to talk down to your boxer like Larry Merchant,' is one of the best lines I've heard in a freestyle, simply because of the reference and how easily he does it. Cam'ron is unleashing a beast on NYC rap, slowly but surely. I've been playing this freestyle nonstop since I heard it. Slime Flu drops on July 6th, so hopefully there's more of the same. The second one is a random cypher with the most random collection of MC's. Fat Joe, Fred Da Godson, Mickey Factz and some dude named Leader all freestyled and represented for the Bronx on Green Lantern's Sirius Radio show. Honestly, Leader was garbage and Joe was decent. Mickey gets some serious points for being the only one without a written, but in terms of pure bars, Fred rips EVERYONE. Was never really a fan of Fred, but I can't even front on the man now. Whatever the case, check both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

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...

Freestyle Friday (5/21)

Hey people!!! Friday means one thing: freestyles. We've got two dope ones today, that are a little different from the ones I usually put up. The first one is from Chiddy Bang. The Philadelphia duo brought a bunch of industry heads into the studio for a listening session, when Chiddy dropped a gang of bars over an instrumental that Noah just happened to 'create' on the spot. I'm honestly getting more and more impressed by them every time I hear something new. Damn shame that I slept for so long. The second one is ridiculous for two reasons: the location and the content. Jay Electronica spit some verrrrry deep bars while on a trip to Nepal (still don't understand why he's there). Both of these are fire. Check them both out and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...