"I’m the Authority of Model Seniority, They Call Me Les but They All Need More of Me"

This whole G.O.O.D. Music Friday (or Saturday in this instance) is turning out to be a pretty badass weekly gift from Ye. I thought last week's edition with Jigga leading the way with a strong effort from the unheralded @cyhidaprynce was a solid cut, only to be bettered this week by another marathon of lyricism put on by a similar, but slightly different crowd. You'd think there would be potential for @kanyewest, @pusha_T or even Cudi would take this track over and win the top verse...but then outta nowhere swoops in @ryanleslie for the kill.

Best part of the track by far is when the beat transforms from a bouncy, rolling upbeat vibe to more of a b-boy style beat with more percussion leading up to the beat calming completely for R Les to absolutely murder his verse. My guess is that Kanye let R Les have more than a little creative control over the beat. I hope that was the case anyways because they're both production geniuses in their own right and this song is a perfect example of a tale of two beats meshing together for an epic collaboration of Hip Hop talent. It's as if they divided it up 50/50 with Ye and Pusha T taking on the bouncier 808 flavor before the beat gave way to a slower, more deliberate feel which catered to Banks, R Les and Cudi's style more.

Check R Les's verse below:

"It’s time for a lesson in model behaviour
Damn, look at all the bad b-tches I gave you
Man, I can see the flaws to your flavor
Look like wonder woman and still need a savior
Maybe its a billionaire maybe its that cocaine
I done seen drugs and money run the whole game
A good girl lost in the city life
Agent Provocateur holding titties right
I’m haute couture of hoes galore
Give my girl a newport ’cause she’s smoking yours
I’m the authority of model seniority
they call me Les but they all need more of me"

Beautifully crafted and delivered sir Ryan Leslie, you continue to fly under the proverbial radar, leaving fans with tracks like this that leave Hip Hop fans all dumbed out wondering why he doesn't put out more material. I'm not tryin' to give him all the credit neither 'Ye, you've still got us all eating out of the palm of your hand every Friday anxiously awaiting another track that will probably be better than the last and leave us salivating for your materpiece eloquently titled Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye West ft Kid Cudi, Pusha T, John Legend, Lloyd Banks & Ryan Leslie – Christian Dior Denim Flow
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"If God Had an iPod, I'd Be on His Playlist"

"Which Would You Rather Be Underpaid or Overrated?"

Out of all the G.O.O.D. Music Fridays the past month where Kanye has consistently put out a new song every Friday, this may be my favorite. I would have said my favorite was Runaway, but that was released on a Monday after the VMAs so that doesn't count. The beat provided by Swizz paints a grimy, dark, haunting feel to it, giving it more of a freestyle sound to it. You've gotta get the right cast of characters to make this work and clearly, I'm hitting the like button on this cast and crew with @KanyeWest, @s_c_ and @pusha_T cheffing up some grade A verses over @therealswizzz maronade.

What had me scratching my head after a few listens of this was the verse by that notoriously well known artist named...CyHi The Prince? Wait what? You may have heard him under the name Prince CyHi in his single with Akon titled Shoulda Known, which was released over 10 months ago. Needless to say being signed under the Def Jam/Konvict/G.O.O.D. Music umbrella is sure to result in success, especially with @akon literally playing King Midas with everything he touches. In case you need a glimpse, heres @cyhidaprynce's verse from the track below:

I am so outrageous,
I wear my pride on my sleeve like a bracelet
If God had an iPod, I’d be on his playlist
My phrases amazes the faces in places
The favourite, huh
My cup over runneth with hundreds
Dummy, dammit, not like for me to waste it
The new commandment, thou shall not hate kid
My movement is like the civil rights I’m Ralph David
Abernathy, so call my lady Rosa Parks
I am nothing like them n-ggas baby those are marks
I met this girl on Valentines day f'ed her in May
She found out about April so she chose to March
Damn another broken heart
I keep b-tches by the two’s n-gga, Noah’s Ark
I got a seven on me, I call my dro the mark
Plus a trojan in my pocket, Matt Leinert
G-A-T in the pathfinder
Cause you haters got PHD’s
Y’all just some major haters and some math minors
Tiger Woods don’t make me grab iron

Tip of the cap to you CyHi, lookin' forward to much more quality 16s in the future since you just proved on that you can hang with the big boys. As a sidebar, it was always evident that Pusha T was the driving force behind the lyrical success of The Clipse (no disrespect Malice) and now that he has teamed up with Kanye who will surely throw him more than a few bones beat wise, there's a great chance we may have yet to hear the best of what P has to offer.

Exciting stuff and don't get too up in arms about the whole Hammer line MC or should I say King Hammer?? (HA!), the 36 sec video clip of you getting at the punching bag in an attempt to intimidate Jigga is not scaring anyone. We're all looking forward to your Halloween diss record aimed at Jay-Z/Kanye, can't wait for the 90s spandex. Also, Nick Cannon, stop it with the whole Nick Cannon/MC Hammer vs Jay-Z/Eminem tag team match. Are you serious dude? Just stay married to that dime piece you out-punted your coverage with and finish that tall glass of STFU....

Give it a listen...

Kanye West feat Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beats, RZA, CyHi The Prince - So Appalled
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"Baby I Got a Plan, Runaway Fast as You Can"

A lot has happened in 24 hours with MTV's Video Music Awards giving us a quality helping of top notch performances, debut, drama and of (main) course a large meat dish flavored with some Gaga. Going into the VMAs I was most excited to see B.O.B.'s performance with Hayley Williams and Eminem's rendition of Love the Way You Lie with Rihanna. Truth be told, when you mix in a little Linkin Park, the performances were pretty hype (especially when EM turned around into the theater to finish Not Afraid).

As a sidebar, I was thoroughly entertained by @Ladygaga...sure her antics may get a little played out and you can only be so attention grabbing with the outfits, but the energy and emotion she brings every time she opens her mouth is admirable and consistently raw, which is cool. There truly is no stage too big for her, but I guess that's more of a byproduct of her being so out there and unapologetically independent. Anything that intense, in your face and audacious is easy to hate, but if you take her for what she's worth and don't take her antics too seriously, the energy she emantes is pretty epic. Maybe we were Born This Way...

But all the above was more or less a precursor to what turned out to be one hell of a grand finale. Yea I made sure and made a point to watch it when I heard Kanye was dropping a brand new track and I saw the trailer below providing an intro of what to expect...see below:

...what I didn't know is that he was bringing the MPC on stage to inject his own computerized add-libs throughout the track. That took the whole live debut experience to a whole nother level, especially when you throw in a Pusha T verse and surprisingly in your face lyrics..see performance and MP3 of live performance below...


Kanye West feat Pusha T - Runaway (Live from VMAs)
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It must be Christmas all over again because thanks to Funk Flex, we now have the CDQ version of the track. It's as good as advertised and @pusha_T's verse is even better on the real track. It is every bit vintage @KanyeWest, with the depressing undertones and ego-driven lyrics that poke fun at himself, but expose much of what makes him the asshole he can be. I don't think anyone is in disagreement of that, but my god the music that he has the ability to create is awe-inspiring. There's no doubt Dark Twisted Fantasy has the potential to live up to and surpass previous albums'...check out the real version...

Kanye West feat Pusha T - Runaway (CDQ)
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"If You Fall on the Concrete, That's Yo Asphalt"

A surprisingly upbeat track from 'Ye from around the way...today. Coming by way of his newly revamped blog, Kanye University, we get another glimpse of what his upcoming album Dark Twisted Fantasy (formerly Good Ass Job) is going to sound like. I can see his first single fitting into a dark and twisted fantasy, but this one has more of a celebratory, welcome back sounding vibe to it. Gotta love the obligatory Free Weezy shout out too...

For all of you that missed Kanye's crazy moving picture video for Power, give it a look below. There's no doubt the track has an epic sound to it, from the chanting to big beat to the unapologetic verses...the video does all that high intensity plenty of dramatic justice. Check it...

I like Beyonce on this track to be honest, she is most of the reason it sounds so uplifting. Shouts out to No I.D. and Lex Luger on the beat too, they did their thing setting the tone for an upbeat track. Despite the positivity oozing from See Me Now, it's hard not to appreciate the track for its lighthearted tone. It should serve to balance out all the other heavy, dramatic material that will eminently fill up Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Give it a listen...

Kanye West – See Me Now f. Beyonce & Charlie Wilson (prod. Kanye West x No I.D. x Lex Luger)
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