Freestyle Friday (2/18)

Happy Friday, people! Whoever and wherever you are, I'm sure some ciphers will start your day off right, and we've got a few good ones today. The first one is by the Ohio representer Stalley on Toca Tuesdays. After dropping his 'Intelligent Trunk Music' mixtape last week, he swung by Tony Touch's studio and did a quick 2-minute verse with some nice background vocals. The second one is from none other than the Money Making Jam Boys, also on Tony Toca's show. The cipher is over 8 minutes long, with all 5 of the Philly rap collective spitting some vicious writtens over Big L instrumentals in remembrance of Harlem's Problem Child. If you didn't get their mixtape, you've loafed in the worst way. The third freestyle is by Lupe over 'H.A.M.' on Tim Westwood's radio show. I'm not sold on the beat for H.A.M., but somehow Lupe does wonders with it, crafting the most intricate of rhymes off the dome. It wasn't nearly his best, but the fact that he did a true 'freestyle' makes it impressive. Check out all three ciphers and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (2/4)

Dear Dear Whoever readers, I apologize. There has been a dire lack of freestyles on the blog for a few weeks. Blame either my academic obligations or my incessant job search for graduation. Even so, we've got two freestyle verses this week for your listening pleasure. The first one is by Fabolous. As he prepares to drop a new mixtape, he released this freestyle to Kanye's 'Devil in a New Dress', and RIPPED it. Fab shows us here why he gets so much play: his wordplay. If only John Jackson could put that formula together for an ALBUM, there'd be little competition, as he'd be ACTUALLY killing them. Regardless, it's a nice verse. 'The SOUL Tape' is slated to drop this month. The second freestyle is by Jim Jones, and isn't completely a freestyle. After his near-death experience in a car crash last week, Jones quickly released a 'Crash' freestyle detailing the event. The video below is not only a trailer for the upcoming video for 'Crash', but an impromptu performance of his take on Kanye's 'Runaway' (so I'm guessing Ye's beats are the standard again?). Check out both freestyles and have a happy Friday people!

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...

Freestyle Friday (10/29)

Friday means freestyles. And that's just the long and short of it on Dear Whoever. Let's not mince words. Today we've got two very, very different ciphers on the schedule. The first one is with Big Sean, Cory Gunz and Mickey Factz. Let me tell you this before you even hit play: CORY GUNZ KILLS IT. I don't understand why this man is not one of the best in the game, though his signing to Young Money might have something to do with it. Mickey and Big Sean both spit okay verses, but it's clear who's shining in that video. The second one is an old freestyle (I'm guessing) circa 1995 featuring Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, both draped in the finest of apparel from that time. And, as one would expect they spit bars about what else but things only people with Cuban Linx would be able to relate to. Regardless, the cipher is FIRE, and I know a few of you older hip-hop heads will dig it. Check out both the young and older eras of hip-hop for this Freestyle Friday and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

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 on Saturday (9/25)

What's up Dear Whoever faithful? Saturday would be the day for Freestyle Friday wouldn't it? Even though I've been missing with these the past two weeks I've got two for the killing today, albeit a day late. The first one is from Yelawolf, whose freestyles have been getting better and better as of late. The Alabama MC puts his unique spin on Snoop's 'I Wanna Rock', and he has me rocking my head to the way he uses inflections and his voice. Yelawolf definitely needs to get some more music out there, because I was sleeping on that man. The second cipher is with those good fellows from Yonkers, D- Block. Sheek Louch and Styles P bring Bully along to Funk Flex's show (I wish Jada was there) and go off on Drake's 'Light Up'. The result is almost 8 minutes of raw, unadulterated hip-hop. The third one is by the rapping half of Chiddy Bang. Chiddy spits a verse off the dome that trumps most dudes writtens, even though the man stumbled over some of his lyrics. I wasn't a fan before, but the duo is really opening my eyes to how vast the spectrum of hip-hop can be. Check out all three freestyles and have a safe, fun weekend, people!!!

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...

Freestyle Friday (8/6)

People, how goes it? It's Friday, and Friday means freestyles. Today, we've got two freestyles that will have your ears wiggling and your fingers wanting to press rewind. The first cypher features Mickey Factz on a show called 'The Syndies'. Mickey does the term 'freestyle' a bit of justice and decides to go completely off the dome. His verse is damn near miraculous, considering most heads spit from a Blackberry nowadays. The fact that he can make coherent thoughts come across in rhyme form without writing it down is amazing. The improvisational aspect of freestyling is dying, but Mickey Factz is one of the people manning the respirator. The second freestyle is by J. Cole on Power 10 (wherever that is). Cole does his usual masterful job over the airwaves, so there's really nothing to say other than to just watch the video. The third cypher is by an oldie, but goodie, Pharoahe Monch. The Lyricist Lounge alumni dropped by Tony Touch's Tuesday Sirius radio show and does DAMAGE. I don't even want to talk about this one either because it's piff. Seriously, just listen and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

Freestyle Friday (7/30)

Hey people, it's Friday and that means nothing other than freestyles. Today, I'm posting up a guy who I've seen floating around the blogosphere but never got a chance to listen either through my own disinterest or just because there are too many rappers out there. Either way, Rain, hailing from North Carolina, is nice with it. He visited Tony Touch's radio show this week and dropped off a long freestyle about where he's from and where he wants to go in this industry. The beat he goes over is really good too. Anyone got the title for me? The second freestyle is by Joell Ortiz, whose YAOWA movement is gaining steam by the day. This freestyle, over DJ Premier's 'Sing Like Bilal', is somewhat of a subliminal diss track, coming at all of the 'new' rappers on the scene now. Not that I agree completely with Joell's stance, but you've got to admit, the man does spit some truth about the way labels act towards them. Not to mention, Joell is actually a monster and could go toe to toe with most of the cats coming out now. Whether YAOWA will put the bullseye on some backs has yet to be seen, but with verses like this, it's looking like the summer's going to end on a high note for Joell. Check out both freestyles and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...

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...

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 (6/18)

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...