Singing Telegram: Ol' Dirty Bastard - Brooklyn Zoo

If you are an Odd Future fan, then you need to pledge your allegiance and your swag to the man immortalized in the video above. In the midst of the golden era of hip-hop, rife with its complex rhyme schemes, witty metaphors and loopy wordplay, one movement stuck out as being able to reach music fans who didn't necessarily like hip-hop. That was the Wu-Tang Clan. While the group boasted a host of accomplished rhymesayers and producers, the true surprise was their Clown Prince, the one we affably call Big Baby Jesus. Ol' Dirty Bastard left the physical realm of our celestial body in November 2004 at the hands of a drug overdose. Before meeting his maker, he lived life within a foot of the edge, as evidenced by his music, which became an outlet for his larger-than-life and almost psychotic persona.

Today, ODB lives on in the shadows and minds of acts like Odd Future and Lil' B. Nonsensical, sociopathic and deranged lyrics pervaded his work, and do the same in theirs. If there was a way to direct lineage in hip-hop, I'm sure that the ODB would have more than a few seeds planted in today's hip-hop generation. Today's Singing Telegram is a commemoration of that. 'Brooklyn Zoo' (also the title of a good amount of my fantasy teams) is a cacophonous warning to those that deemed it safe to throw shade at Ol' Dirty and his Wu-Tang crew. Threatening his adversaries with Lysol, among other strange pieces of weaponry, ODB has his way with the beat and surprisingly makes more sense than he usually does. That the video is as gritty as the man himself is simply a sign and testament to the times. While we may never truly know the extent of Russel Tyrone Jones' affliction, we do know that it birthed some memorable hip-hop. RIP to ODB and let his raucous incantations rile you to a new level of hype...

Raekwon - Sweep Week Freestyle

Someone tell me Rae doesn't have some of the meanest promo pics


Raekwon - Sweep Week Freestyle

When's the last time you've heard a straight shot of lyrics? No chorus, no bullshit 'swag' talking during the track, not even an intro... Just a stream of lyrical consciousness? That's right... It's been a minute. Never fear, though. Uncle Chef is here to save the day with a hefty helping of BARS over a smooth interpolation of Mary J's 'All Night Long'. In anticipation of some more new Wu on the horizon, this is exactly what my ears need: great production and lyrics to go. Rae makes a convincing case for one of the GOATs with a bunch of quotables, which I can't say about 99% of the game right now. Doesn't matter if you're an old head or just getting on the Wu. Check out what hip-hop greatness means...

Justin Bieber x Kanye West x Raekwon - Runaway Love (Remix)

Justin Bieber x Kanye West x Raekwon - Runaway Love (Remix)

Say what you will about Justin Bieber's place in pop music and his diabolically squeaky-clean image, the young man knows his hip-hop, evidenced by interviews and numerous cosigns. Plus, the young man sounds like a damn cherub. Add his charms, a verse from Rae and Ye, and an interpolation of the Wu classic 'Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nothing to F*ck With', and you have one hell of a crossover hit. Kanye was always a Bieber fan, but the Raekwon cosign was a pleasant surprise. It's refreshing to see that musicians aren't above accepting other types of music or other musicians, regardless of genre. To all of you 'hip-hop' purists saying Rae is selling out by adding Bieber, please go fall into a woodchipper. It's sad that people can't show flexibility without stans getting their panties in a bunch about 'real hip-hop'. Take the chewsticks out of your butt, turn off your Atmosphere album, and figure out why you're mad, while the rest of the world rocks out to this trill Justin Bieber chorus...