All's Fair In Mud And War - OutDaMud Has Arrived!

OutDaMud is special to us because as Heritage Hip-Hop grew, they grew with us. Frank Castle has been a solid individual that stood on his word from before Heritage Hip-Hop was created and today that uniform approach to standing on his word has translated into a tenacity of growth that has his pen as sharp as it could be with more samurai bladed intent to come within every song. Shot Kobang always impressed with his will and delivery to be one of the greats and with new found merit in his health and points of strength, he has become a warlord of lyrical diatribe when a hook or painting is requested by the beats he rhymes on. HeritageHipHop.com was the home of the Mixtape B.C. Era which was a precursor to the album we have today and songs like Soul Food (Heritage Hip-Hop Thanksgiving Anthem Classic), It's On, etc . marked the arrival of these 2 artists as they moved forward while having a secret weapon with them.

Grimm Cyph came to the platform after being introduced to us as another family member to the movement not discounting others that we have met but he had a different mode to his talent and his voice is the nail that skins the top layer of talent that he possessed at the time. By combining these 3 talents under the direction of ILL City Ent. led by Riq, OutDaMud has emerged from guest spots on posse cuts to debut their first EP under the ILL City brand. From the long wait, we are given the gift of passion and the arrival of something special to live with in a world where music is easily consumed and forgotten.

All's Fair In Mud and War starts off with a ear opening song named Mud and War. Philosophically Mud is where all life comes from when land and water meet. The War in creation was to make it to the next level of existing by going through the struggle of raising the bar of life. This song raises the bar of those that knew of OutDaMud's sound before, by reintroducing them to their ears. For new listeners this is a bar raising experience by being introduced to new voices that go against the grain of mainstream trash that is force fed to the masses.

Song for song Frank Castle and Shot Kobang not only upshot on their skills they have shown on the last project (B.C. Era), the addition of Grimm Cyph adds polish to many of the songs that are on this EP. Stand out song Momma's Love features a hook by Dot Bundini a master painter of lyrics and the subject matter attacks the heart and soul of the listener. With a flip of the Hell on Earth melody to talk about hardships. About how a man has to face life for what it is, but being reminded of mom's words. We fight to make our own way and are reminded of the choices that we have made guide that guide our decisions for right or wrong is a mastery of Hip-Hop's way of telling us the stories. We live never taking time to examine them until we sit and reflect to music or in penitent silence.

The classic and stand out song on this project comes from OutDaMud featuring Big Stomp. Ascension is the rock that anchors this project and delivers where most Hip-Hop today has fallen short especially in the main stream. It answers the question, "Who are You?", when we want to connect with an artist. The desire for more and dealing with growth will mature a person with fierce consequences. Castle, Cyph and Kobang go into their souls to talk about pain and the feature verse by Big Stomp puts a perfect bow on the effect of change and the decision to be better.

This project is from the beginning to the end a testament of what happens when you raise your bar to be renewed into a new chapter in your life. Reflection of the hard times and the journey for more is the perfect vision of walking through mud to become cleansed. The war in the journey is to "....Go through it, or ...Grow Through it..." and as the listener ingests this story of manhood and struggle, we all grow through the words and beats. Songs like Off The Block talk about the struggle , but songs like Over My Mind speak on the fight to love receiving it and giving it. The fair part of the war is the decision to partake in it or to sit it out. Either way the war is present and you will be drafted into the evolution of life through the struggle and good music will help you travel those steps. This EP is a guiding light through 3 men's lives that can be relatable in testimony. In the beginning their was mud and from the dust we came and to the dust we will return. But in the rhythm of life the heartbeat, the drum and the words of the MC will aid us in our travels. This EP is special and with the connection of beats and harmony, OUTDAMUD and ILL City Ent. start off another chapter of great music that will lead to the desire for more.

OutDaMud All's Fair In Mud And War is available on streaming Platforms now:

BandCamp: https://illcityentertainment.bandcamp.com/album/alls-fair-in-mud-and-war

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xzm8gy8qgt4s30WUnnNv4?si=3PiHiU8qSMiGyFHnFPoQAg

Tidal: https://tidal.com/browse/artist/45568878?u

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/outdamud/1594080666

Social Media:

ILL City Ent.:https://www.instagram.com/illcity_ent?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

OutDaMud: https://www.instagram.com/outdamud973/

A New Era Begins...The Cornerstones Have Arrived.

There comes a time in Hip-Hop culture when groups are formed and it marks the beginning of something special. The culmination of energy and creativity brings a wholesome completion through respect of a unified vision. For those that do not get it, raise your level and your ears, the Cornerstones have arrived with a refreshing presentation of music.

People may already know of Samad Savage, I mean his run in music has been amazing. as a winner of prestigious awards (Heritage Hip-Hop) he always has presented himself as a leader in the NJ Hip-Hop community. Add J.1.Da who has made projects that talk to the soul through the lens of growth and struggle. Also an award winner that has projects, that check the heart and soul of the listener. The 2 other artists in this group need to have their praises song as well. Solis produces pride for his cultural background with insightful lyricism. He brings a style that is bilingual and deadly to the ear. Blaze The Rebel needs to also have his praises for his style, hunger, and checking the temperature of the listener with flows and stories as well.

When we put all of this together, the Cornerstones are formed and their debut project Set In Stone, is just that. This is a place setter in the new era of NJ Hip-Hop where the history of egos that have hurt the region, can now have a place setter where all the B.S. does not matter and we have music to stand on. With energy, a Jersey anthem and music that speaks not only to who is the best on the microphone but to the emotions of the growing culture around them. The Cornerstones represent what structure is in building a project and producing hope through their sound.

Cornerstones are the 4 points on what a foundation is built on connecting 2 walls at each point. We are treated to the foundation of lyrics, purpose, entertainment, and joy when it comes to this project. Real music can not only be enjoyed but leaves the listener with something to look forward to. At the end of listening to this project you will see that Blaze The Rebel and Solis need their praises sung for being truthful to who they are and their creative set of skills that brings life to the project. J.1.Da needs to be credited for not only representing himself and the Other Side Of Newark project he is on. He brings the inspection to the group with balance. Samad Savage is the part of the puzzle that adds a technique to the group that works. What is that technique? Only those that listen to the album will find out.

Set in Stone, the debut project from the Cornerstones drops 8/11/23 on all music platforms for purchase and streaming. Salute to the group and watch their debut video Humble Beginnings below:

Social Media:

Instagram:

Cornerstones: https://www.instagram.com/therealcornerstones/

Samad Savage: https://www.instagram.com/samadsavage/

J.1.Da: https://www.instagram.com/_j.1.da/

Solis: https://www.instagram.com/_iamsolis/

Blaze The Rebel: https://www.instagram.com/blazetherebel/

Nas Returns To Criticism and Praise With The Release Of Magic 2.

When the greats return to release music in Hip-Hop culture there seems to be a stigma attached to them because Hip-Hop is always seen as a young man's sport. Hip-Hop was born from the youth rebelling against the system of racism and classcism in the inner city of New York City. The youth took the charge in leading the voices of the people against the establishment.

As Hip-Hop has evolved and matured generations have been established and the birth of eras have come from the culture. Terms like True School, Golden era, mixtape and blog eras and so on has come from the culture and the emergence of the new voice has always captivated the culture while American culture has influenced the overall genre of always upholding the new and not focusing or respecting the elder of something within it. This by far is not a "Hip-Hop" thing but something done in American culture where always wanting the newest things and throwing something older away is the norm Unfortunately in music this happens so often that it is common practice. With "Black" music, older artists are always thrown away due to marketing and the lack there of, when it relates to veteran talents. With women they are measured on looks, and the measure of sex appeal they can bring growth to the wallets of the label owners in power. In Hip-Hop we are seeing a genre that is turning 50 years old this year, evolve in front of our eyes. With this we see in real time the evolution of the genre, for those of age, to remember the cardboard on the ground with children dancing on it. To now seeing women and men become business execs and entrepreneurs representing something that was birthed out of the pain of inner city youth. Nas was one of those youth that took Hip-Hop serious and has turned it into his life style, funding his different ventures from documentaries to investments and also of course making music. As being one of those legacy artists, Nas has faced criticism on his longevity in Hip-Hop and has been questioned on his relevance within the modern Hip-Hop culture.

Nas is an old school artist and many people in the modern age of Hip-Hop do not know the album, Illmattic. While there are some music purists that do, there are others that know only the past 20 years of music so the 90s era is foreign to them. The people I have talked to when it relates to write this piece are scattered in age and I have heard testimonies like, "Nas is the God", "I know Nas from Stillmattic", or "Nas the guy from Life is Good", and lastly "Nas is old and corny I don't fuck with Nas." So there is a scattered thought about him because his relevance to this conversation spans a 30 year career and with names like God's Son and the messiah of rap, Nas is held in the highest regards of Hip-Hop legacy. His legacy has always been tarnished by his beat selection though as people have stated for years lyrically Nas is 'Amazing" but his beats do not hit. In recent years Nas changed his formula and has worked with Hit-Boy creating 2 series of projects King's Disease and Magic albums.

Nas usually drops albums years at a time but his work with Hit-Boy has seen him drop 5 projects is 3 years which for Nas is life changing to his career. His delivery and rebirth into this new space of Hip-Hop has seen Nas drop classic songs like Ultra Black, Nobody featuring Lauryn Hill, Speechless, and Thun. But in relation to the volume of music dropping from this rap team, Nas still is compared to today's artists and the criticism comes with an album that is dropped hours into the day of release. Critiques like "this album is fire" to "lazy", has dropped and the polarizing spectre of Nas has returned to being the most beloved and often questioned artist remains on his resume. People have questioned Hit-Boy's sound to even Nas' lyricism on this new project. Magic 2 was released 7/21/23 and the flood gates were released on the beat selection, Hit-Boy's sound, Nas subject matter and he opened up the project talking about the hate placed on him since working with Hit-Boy on the song Abracadabra. Magic 2 has been attacked for many reasons but the one that bothers me is the question of why Nas is important to Hip-Hop currently?

As stated earlier Hip-Hop is growing in front of us in real time. 50 years is still young in relation to time. Nas represents someone making it from an era where Hip-Hop was still first beginning to make its way into the world view. Nas is one of many to make it from the 90s we can not discount Jay'-Z, Diddy, Ice Cube, E-40, Master P., Queen Latifah, and so many others that have shown us that Hip-Hop is more than just music. It is a life style and an inclusive industry that has brought in Hollywood, beverage companies and more. Method Man is an example of aging gracefully in Hip-Hop using canibus culture and health to be a physical example of caring for self and bringing a new diversity of youthfully aging in strength, and business into Hip-Hop representation.. Nas has always been held high and with that comes the most sharpest criticism.

Returning to age, Nas is defying the young man's game opinion. He is 30 years in the game and he represents something to his era of Hip-Hop, and a lot of people will miss that point until it is their time to be pushed to the back for something new. Nas is the story of endurance in a music culture that seems to always label something old and to not appreciate or cherish the time in which something happens. Nas' lyrics, and word play come from more age and experience and a lot of music pushed today is solely drug related and violent. A lot of artists that are great today do not make songs like this but due to age in the music scene Nas does not fit that subject matter and I have heard him discounted from top artist conversation due to that opinion. 21 Savage made a statement that Glorilla is more relevant than Nas and the age debate and era conversation came to the forefront in the culture. Thankfully Nas and 21 Savage did a song together which is on Magic 2 to talk about that topic that topic as well.

Hip-Hop may have regional opinions and bias but the fact remains Nas is a pillar to the culture and love him or not, his mark on the culture is stamped. This run inspires many of the veteran artists of this new era to create and keep going when age is an issue and people are shut out due to their timing of release in the culture. We recently had a conversation with Hero of HipHopHeroes podcast on Twitter Spaces about this topic. Click the link below to hear this conversation :

Link:

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1OwGWwwLXwkGQ?s=20

Is Magic 2 Nas' best work to you? Is Nas and Hit-Boy's work credible or subpar to you in today's climate of Hip-Hop? We will let you decide as Hip-Hop further evolves and we see elder statesmen and women return to a youth driven culture and continue to push the boundaries, opinions and views or the culture forward.

Magic 2 is availbale on all music platforms to purchase and stream.