Scribbler's Native Tongue Mixtape Pick (Local Edition): Just Ace, "Time Travel Mixtape"

I absolutely love stumbling upon mixtapes, EPs and albums that pleasantly surprise me--especially when I either don't know what to expect from it or don't expect much out of it at all.  When I first discovered the featured local mixtape of [what was supposed to be a review for the month of] April, I just randomly picked it from DatPiff.  I saw that although it didn't have the fanfare of many other mixtapes on the site--honestly, there's an endless sea of mixtapes to sift through, and that's just from the DMV alone--it had enough streams to steer me towards downloading it.  Didn't appear to be like a lot of the average mixtapes on the site--album art with half-naked women, people counting money, random cocaine scales, extravagant houses and/or cars, and the like--so I figured what the heck.  What I got was a seven-track, 24-minute diamond in the rough from Northern Virginia rapper Just Ace, Time Travel Mixtape (presented by Vintage Innovation).

Scribbler's Native Tongue Mixtape Pick: Big K.R.I.T., "King Remembered In Time"

In becoming the new face of Mississippi hip-hop, it is extremely difficult to argue that Big K.R.I.T. hasn't been able to live up to the lofty expectations behind his acronym.  Outside of Kanye West, very few hip-hop artists have received more critical acclaim as a rapper and producer from various hip-hop "crowds" than Big K.R.I.T.  With a slew of successful mixtapes and a Def Jam album under his belt thus far, his impressive catalog can match, if not altogether surpass, that of any celebrated rapper that has come out in the past 5-10 years.  However, none of that matters to Krizzle.  He makes it abundantly clear that he wants more and shows an adamant refusal to slack off with his latest mixtape, King Remembered In Time.

Scribbler's Highlight of the Week: King James' Last-Second Layup

Good offense typically beats bad defense, especially when that good offense comes from the best basketball player on the planet in LeBron James.  I don't even know if Miami Heat teammate Shane Battier recognized that as he delivered an inbound pass to "King James", but he knew exactly where to pass the ball.  Now some people don't think this is very clutch simply because the defense wasn't there.  I don't understand how Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel leaves center Roy Hibbert out of the game in a critical moment like this.  With Paul George having the tall order of stopping a man amongst boys, LeBron refused to settle for a jump shot as he would've in the past.  LJ tapped into his inner MJ, smelled blood in the water and became a great white in a matter of 2.2 seconds.  He absolutely refused to let his team drop the first game on their home court and said, "If I get the ball, I'm gonna do what I do best: drive straight to the basket."  LeBron blew right by George without a real rim protector left on the floor for the Pacers as insurance, scores and it's good night, good morning.  That's clutch enough for my blood.

Scribbler's Throwback of the Week: The Nutty Professor Quartet, Part 3

So now that we've covered Lillo Thomas and Peabo Bryson, it's time for the third member of "The Nutty Professor Quartet": the late, great Lou Rawls.  As a kid, I remember his annual "Parade of Stars" (started back in 1980) in which proceeds from the telethon went to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).  Unfortunately, I didn't--and still don't--hear that many of his songs on the radio.  He's one of those artists that unless you grew up during his era, you probably one only know like one or two songs of his.  While he's not quite as unsung as Lillo, he's probably not as widely recognized or celebrated as a singer like Teddy P or Peabo in the R&B world--although he has such a uniquely silky smooth voice.

Scribbler's Native Tongue Mixtape Pick (Local Edition): SmCity, "Dream Cemetery"

Since my introduction to DMV hip-hop artist SmCity's music via The Indie Life LP and as one of the few local artists that I've actually seen live and shook hands with, he has become one of my favorite artists from this area, but not for the obvious reasons.  Yeah, he has a nice flow.  True, he's got presence on the mic.  Of course he has a good ear for music.  However, even these laudable qualities can't trump my overarching point: SmCity is a master at speaking from the perspective of the [grossly unheralded] independent artist and/or entrepreneur by providing the blueprint for continuing one's path toward greatness and success--in spite of the often-frustrating difficulties that anyone worth his or her weight in gold endures.  Whether it's through his Indie Life Concert Series with Twenty20 Music & Films that provides local and national artists a live platform to connect with their supporters or by way of his own music, the dude embodies what he raps.  He continues that unique ability as well as getting a bit more personal with his latest project, Dream Cemetery.  (For the record, Sm has released both a free version, which you can download via DatPiff, and a deluxe version with three extra tracks available via iTunes.  This review will be of the free version, but PLEASE support this brother.)