Choon of the Week! - Rick Ross ft Nas - Triple Beam Dreams

"more accurately we acted as if jacking was cool, snatching niggas out there shoes then wear their jackets to school"


If there is anyone in rap right now that brings the best out of Nas it is Rick Ross.  The pair's recent hook-up, Tower Heist, was an excellent hood-tale that became the only good thing that emerged from the movie of the same title.  With the release of his much anticipated solo project Rich Forever, Ross teams up again with the Queensbridge veteran on one of the songs of the mixtape.

Both verses on Triple Beam Dreams are deep and intense.  Up first we have Nas sounded like the rapper he was back on Illmatic and It Was Written; crafting a vivid and descriptive story about a drug dealer and the morality that goes behind the art of street hustling.

"How could I sell this poison to my people's in my mind, they dumb to destroy themselves is how I rationalise"

Ross finishes off the Justice League produced banger in typical fashion, mimicking the flow and alliteration that Nas displayed first with devastating effect as he takes shots at anyone who doubts him ("fuck boy you caught up in my dream, counting cream on the cover of a magazine").  It rounds off a neat follow on from Tower Heist and kind of makes you dream of the two making a joint mixtape together (now that would be pure gold).

It goes without saying that Nas destroys the track, and with Ross also on fine form there was only ever going to be one outcome for this song.  It's an instant street classic and sets the tone for the new year.

Enjoy!

Choon of the Week! - Amy Winehouse ft Nas - Like Smoke

"Tell the car to go to aura, funky buddha, whiskey mist or mayfair.  I hope I meet some money love, so she can show me love, NYC to UK I might stay there"

This week was a great week for new music.  As Drake released the tracklist for his new album, with choons like "Motto" featuring Lil Wayne being one to watch for the future, we were also treated to a BIG cypher from the finest actors in the UK scene (hats off to Channel 4 and Top Boy on that note) and also a crazy freestyle from Justin, yes Justin Bieber (see here).  All this without mentioning Professor Green's new album, which is also sick.

But there was only one choon that was going to make this week's 'Choon of the Week'.

When Amy Winehouse sadly passed away, music lost a gem that defined a generation.  Rather than care about how she died, The Urbanite's main concern was whether she did a Tupac and left large volumes of unreleased material.  With producers like Salaam Remi continuing to work with her even during her most chaotic years, you knew that if she did the choons would be amazing.