Ms. Toi`s "THaT GiRL"....

Rewritten with an album review added & new links, originally posted 08.18.2009...

Yes~Yes y`all I`m back with a lil` Chi~Town/ Inglewood flava for y`all courtesy of Ms. Toi. Now for those folks out there that don`t know of her I`ll do my best to school y`all....LoL, so here goes...Toikeon Parham (or Ms. Toi to the HiP HoP world) was born in Chicago, but her family decided to move to Inglewood, California when she was 11 years old. According to her parents Ms. Toi has always been an entertainer, at a young age she was singing Chaka Khan songs before she could even speak. Her first taste of the Music Industry came when she played the role of the 'other woman' in R&B group Mokenstef`s "He`s Mine" music video. Shortly after that Ms. Toi became the lead dancer for the girl group Thick & The Girls (Couldn`t find any info` on `em). During this period in time Toi was truly motivated because the lead rapper of Thick & The Girls was slippin`, always forgettin` her lyrics during live performances due to heavy alcohol consumption. Toi felt embarrassed, dancing for someone that couldn`t represent HiP HoP the right way -- so she made sure folks took notice of her dancing skillz. When Ms. Toi looks back now she can laugh because she understands that it was her beginning & everyone has to start somewhere...

Even though she was getting some props for her dance skillz, she really wanted to rip the mic! While she was working on her rappin` techniques she linked up with Brooke Payne, Ronnie DeVoe`s (of Bel Biv DeVoe fame) uncle, who later became Ms. Toi`s first management team. Shortly after that Ms. Toi recorded her first professional song with Ronnie DeVoe titled "Life Styles Of The Rough & Sexy". She then toured with Ronnie DeVoe & ended up linkin` up with another Rap group named the Militia when she returned home to L.A. Now the Militia was a group that producer & former Dr. Dre understudy Emanuel Dean put together along with emcees Lord G, Diz, Deviuz & Mr. Tan. Mr. Tan was also a part of the L.A. group Da Phat Pak along with Ms. Toi ( I couldn`t find any info` out there on this group so if ya know something school me!). Ms. Toi originally linked up with them to be featured on the remix for their single "Burn" (which is the first time I heard her rap), but the chemistry between them all was real natural so the label (Red Ant Records) put `em all in the studio for about a week`s time & they finished up an album. They shot a music video for the "Burn [Rmx]" with all 5 Militia members & even followed things up with a second video for their track titled "Who`s The Next MC To Crumble", but shortly after that Red Ant Records went bankrupt forcing the Militia to branch out on their own individual solo~careers...

Things really started to PoP off for Ms. Toi one night when her homie K-Mack, a member of the Rap group The Comrads, called her up asking her to hit up the studio to help Ice Cube finish up a song that he was recording at the time. Cube was recording "You Can Do It" which also featured Mack 10, he was about to scrap the track altogether but things changed once Ms. Toi hit the studio & blessed it with her vocals. The song became an overnight phenomenon, getting mad radio play & also ended up landing a spot on the soundtrack for Ice Cube`s film "Next Friday". Shortly after that in the year 2000 Ms. Toi joined the legendary "Up In Smoke Tour", things were lookin` real good for her career! Maybe just a lil` too good though since she thought that she was gon` end up gettin` a deal thru Ice Cube, but nothing materialized even after numerous efforts by Toi herself...

Things didn`t work out with Ice Cube the way she thought they would, but soon after her doubts faded out of her mind other labels started pursuing her. Eventually Ms. Toi signed a deal with Universal Records to release her first solo album titled "That Girl" which was released in 2001. Ms. Toi says she did everything in her power (she even co-executive produced the album & also co-produced many of its songs) to make the album a successful one, but the label just didn’t understand her. So with little to no promo for the album, ish was a commercial failure. Maybe it`s because Ms. Toi chose to stray away from the sexually explicit angle that she rocked on "You Can Do It" & instead focused on empowering women & offering a more complete portrait of the female experience in America. Don`t get it twisted though, there`s some good music on the album. It`s definitely worth checkin` out...

As for the album I`ll drop a quick lil` summary for y`all. Guest appearances come from the likes of Toi`s homegirl Cl`Ché, E-40, MC Ren, Squeak Ru, Poppa LQ, Nelly, Ali & Murphy Lee. Production is handled by Dame Grease, Phantom Of The Beats, Don Saunders, Mike City, Jason Epperson, DJ Don, Rhythm D, Doug Rasheed, Mike "Punch" Harper & even Ms. Toi herself. The album opens with the the title track "That Girl" which features her homegirl Cl`Ché over a Dame Grease produced beat, the hook has a slight Reggae vibe to it. It makes for a nice introduction for the listeners as Ms. Toi discusses the rough roads that she`s traveled to get to where she`s at now. "Handclap" is alright, but definitely sounds like an attempt to get some play on the radio with it`s commercialized vibe. The beat`s catchy, it`s hook simplistic, but Toi still manages to spit decent lyrics. "Love Me Or Leave Me" features vocals by Dalya Riley on the hook, while the Don Saunders beat complements the song`s overall message. Here Toi chooses to get a lil` more personal with this one, telling her loved one that he`s either gon` love her for who she is & respect what she`s doin` or he can get to steppin`...

E-40 makes an appearance on "Work A Twist" produced by Mike City. Like the beat the song`s decent, but nothing super spectacular which is a shame because these two artists are definitely capable of delivering much better. I can`t lie though E-40 makes the hook more catchy than it should be just by the funny way he says the song`s title. "Can`t None Of Y`all" features some more vocals from Dalya Riley while the song carries somewhat of a commercialize feel to it. Ms. Toi is basically on brag mode with this joint, lettin` folks know that no one can step to her. "C`Mon" is another joint that isn`t anything special, it`s not wack but you can definitely tell they were attempting to hit the radio with this vibe. Nelly, Ali & Murphy Lee are featured on "Be Like Me" a braggadocio joint that`s backed by a nice Jason Epperson beat....LoL, honestly I don`t know if I have heard anything else that Jason has done, but I like this beat. As for the tune I can`t really get into because I`m not much of a Nelly fan (NEVER was) & his homies don`t make this song any better. It`s not wack, it just has that Nelly-ized vibe to it & I simply can`t stand it....LoL

"Fly Chick" features The Transitions on a joint that`s sort of similar to Foxy Brown`s "Big Bad Mama" vibe but it has a bit of a darker sound to it. To switch things up Ms. Toi decides to keep it hood on the Squeak Ru assisted & street soundin` "My Dogs & My Locs", a DJ Don produced track which also features an Ice Cube sample used for the hook. "Bonnie Ride" carries the street vibe along as Toi lets the listeners know that she`s down to ride & die for her Clyde (man), while Dub Niche helps out on the track. Poppa LQ is featured on "Well Say That" a DoPe back & forth convo` between a hustler & a woman that he`s trying to hook up with carried on over Rhythm D`s backdrop which only enhances things. I`d have to say that this song is my favorite on the entire album, the way it`s done is great because both artists have good chemistry together. Ms. Toi decides to put a woman`s twist on 2Pac`s "Wonder Why They Call You Bitch?" with "Wonder Why..." featuring Dub Niche. It`s basically the female version with Toi speaking about a male 'trick' instead. It`s not a bad song at all, I actually find the hook pretty catchy....LoL

"Bangin`" has an appearance by the 'Villain In Black' MC Ren & is produced by Dame Grease. Unfortunately the song`s a lil` disappointing, to me anyway mainly because I was expecting some spectacular ish.....LoL, it`s not wack but the simplistic hook & the beat itself just don`t cut it for me. "Here To Stay" is probably my least favorite song on the album, the beat just doesn`t seem to complement her flow at all. The "Love Me Or Leave Me [Rmx]" once again features Dalya Riley, it`s not bad but I prefer the original version more. The album`s closing track titled "When I Bust" is another DoPe tune & a great way to bring things to an end. The Mike "Punch" Harper beat really meshes well with Ms. Toi`s braggadocio flows. So there ya have it y`all go `head & peep the album for ya`self...

Ms. Toi - That Girl
Label: Universal Records
Released: 2001



1. That Girl {ft. Cl`Ché} [Prod. by Dame Grease]
2. Handclap [Prod. by Phantom Of The Beats]
3. Love Me Or Leave Me {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
4. Work A Twist {ft. E-40 & Stef} [Prod. by Mike City]
5. Can`t None Y`all {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
6. C`Mon [Prod. by Phantom Of The Beats]
7. Be Like Me {ft. Ali, Murphy Lee & Nelly} [Prod. by Jason Epperson]
8. Fly Chick {ft. The Transitions} [Prod. by DJ Don]
9. My Dogs & My Locs {ft. Squeak Ru} [Prod. by DJ Don]
10. Bonnie Ride {ft. Dub Niche} [Prod. by Mike City]
11. Well Say That {ft. Poppa LQ} [Prod. by Rhythm D]
12. Wonder Why... {ft. Dub Niche} [Prod. by Doug Rasheed]
13. Bangin` {ft. MC Ren} [Prod. by Dame Grease]
14. Here To Stay [Prod. by Mike "Punch" Harper]
15. Love Me Or Leave Me [Rmx] {ft. Dalya Riley} [Prod. by Don Saunders]
16. When I Bust [Prod. by Mike "Punch" Harper]

Some newer music...

N`JoY...

DJ Rei DouBLe R & G-Bo The PRo`s "THRoW BaCK: BeST Of VoL. #11 & #12"

First off all, BiG uPs to the homie RuSTy NuTZ! He`s the one that hooked me up with the joint that I`m sharing with y`all today. I`m not sure if he`s the one that personally ripped the mixtape from his collection or if he just passed the files onto me, but either way I`m very thankful. So thanks very much kind sir, the hook up is very much appreciated! Now if any of y`all visitors out there have something that you would like to share with the masses, just holla at me & together we shall get it out there to `em. I`m really trying to gather up a nice collection of the classic mixtapes from the early & late 1990`s because there`s some great tunes on `em. Not only that though, that`s when mixtapes were actual mixtapes not like the ish that gets released now~a~days....LoL, so hook `em up!!!

I got to be honest & say that until RuSTy NuTZ hooked me up with this mixtape I had not heard anything done by DJ Rei Double R & his partner in crime G-Bo The Pro, it`s a DaMn shame I know! Trust me you don`t have to tell me....LoL, anyways for those that aren`t familiar with these 2 kats today`s the day to change that. These 2 fellas reppin` New York have released some major classic mixtapes! It`s definitely a pleasure & an honor to be able  to share with y`all this "Throw Back: Best Of Vol. #11 & #12" tape. What this mixtape consists of is some tracks from their #11 tape titled "Da Stopper" which was released back in March of 1992 & also some joints from their #12 tape titled "Old To Da New" which came out in June of 1992. If you`re a fan of Hip Hop from the early `90's then you should recognize most of the gems on here. The only joint that I found to be a lil` out of place was Mary J. Blige`s "You Remind Me" & that`s only because it`s the sole R&B song on here. It`s a good tune, just a lil` out of place in my opinion...

The only joint on here that I wasn`t DiGG`n much was the "Freestyle" from L.G. (Lyrical Genius), it just wasn`t too impressive. Now to be fair it`s a true freestyle not some pre~written flow stuff so he doesn`t lose my respect, especially since he does drop a nice joint with "Trinidadian" (one of my favorite joints on this tape). On that one he sounds kind of like Slick Rick with the delivery. Until listening to this tape I hadn`t heard anything from L.G. a.k.a. Lyrical Genius so it was kind of a treat, one of the bonuses of discovering this gem of a tape. Another bonus is the awesome remix that Double R does with Rakim`s "Know The Ledge". The original version is my favorite Rakim joint hands down & not only because it reminds me of my favorite movie "Juice" either, it`s just a DoPe gem straight up. So once I heard Double R flippin` it the way he did I was an instant fan because he did it so nicely!!!

One thing that I need to mention about this tape is that there`s actually 21 tracks to it & not 20 like the cover lists. The 3rd track is actually Cypress Hill`s "Real Estate", everything else follows as is on the cover after track 3. The only thing about the 3rd track was that it was pretty jacked up, maybe the tape was eaten by a tape deck & that song was the unfortunate victim, I don`t know......LoL, but to remedy that I just cut off the jacked up parts & mixed in the Cypress Hill song so you`ll notice a slight difference if you listen close enough. The only issue is that because the song was so fucked up I couldn`t tell where it originally ends on the tape so I just left the entire song on there. Some folks may not appreciate what I did & that`s fine (I didn`t do it for you!) I really just did this for my personal collection & besides it makes for a smoother listen anyway. So there you have it go `head & check out this gem...

DJ Rei Double R & G-Bo The Pro - Throw Back: Best Of Vol. #11 & #12

Label: N/A

Released: March & June 1992

1. Intro [Double R Rmx]

2. Jump Around {House Of Pain}

3. Real Estate {Cypress Hill}

4. La Schmoove {Fu Schnickens ft. Phife}

5. They Want EFX {Das EFX}

6. Know The Ledge [Double R Rmx] {Rakim}

7. Uptown Anthem {Naughty By Nature}

8. Days Of Way Bak {BDP ft. Freddie Foxxx}

9. The Choice Is Yours {Black Sheep}

10. Klap Ya` Hands {Das EFX}

11. You Remind Me {Mary J. Blige}

12. Jiggable Pie {AMG}

13. Trinidadian [Double R Rmx] {L.G. (Lyrical Genius)}

14. Intro To #12

15. Fakin` The Funk {Main Source}

16. Don`t Sweat The Technique {Eric B. & Rakim}

17. Poppa Large {Kool Keith}

18. Freestyle {L.G. (Lyrical Genius)}

19. Deep Cover {Dr. Dre & Snoop Doggy Dogg}

20. DWYCK {Gang Starr ft. Nice & Smooth}

21. T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You) {Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth}

N`JoY...

WyZe iNTeLLeCT PReSeNTs "MeDiTaTioN: CHaPTeR 2"...

What`s happenin` y`all? Hope all is well & good with you! Today I have another project from my homie Wyze Intellect to share with y`all. For those of you that have been visiting the blog for a while now you should remember that I have posted up a couple projects that he has been involved with on here. The first post dates back all the way to 2009 (which needs some new links, workin` on re~uPP`n it y`all don`t worry!) & the second post was dropped last year when I shared with y`all SageInfinite`s DoPe "Great Minds Think Alike", so y`all should be somewhat familiar with his work. Anyways this mixtape is more of a compilation of some of Wyze Intellect`s best efforts dating back to 2007. There`s a good variety of artists on this joint though some have a few more songs on here than others. Overall you get a nice well rounded project, the beats themselves are solid straight up! Some of the songs may not be everyone`s cup of tea or Rum & Coke if that`s what you prefer to drink.....LoL, but honestly there isn`t one completely wack tune out of the bunch. Sure there`s a couple R&B flavored joints & even some Christian or God/ Jesus themed songs, but even those tracks are far from weak...


The project opens up with Othello`s "Awake Bounce", a nice way to start things off. Othello`s flows mesh perfectly with the funky DoPe beat & the funny voiced intro & hook breaks just make this track that much more entertaining. New Jersey`s P Genz follows the opening track with "Grandslam", it has a nice `90's vibe to it & Genz brings the lyrics to match it. A Definite head nod inducing beat for sure! Headin` back up to Canada for the next track, Toronto & Halifax representers Muneshine & Ghettosocks collab` on "Nice Guys Finish Last" & they let y`all know exactly why that is over the track`s mellow`D out beat. 'Chicago`s finest', Kastaway reppin` the Westside streets of North Lawndale & Garfield Park comes thru with "Rest". It`s another song backed by a smooth & mellow beat while Kastaway kicks rhymes about his Life`s journey & the struggles that he`s had to deal with all the while just trying to get some rest...


Toronto`s Mr. Erbie a.k.a. Young U connects with the Infamous Mobb`s Ty Nitty for "I Used To". On this T.Dot to QB collabo` both emcees spit reminiscing flows about their Lives over a slightly simple but head bobbin` beat. The self introductory "It`s Theo! [Rmx]" by Toronto`s Theology3 a.k.a. Theo3 is pure Boom Bap gold to your ears! dCypha & Nya Thryce follow things up with their collabo` payin` homage to the culture & art~form that they both love on "Hip Hop", got to love the saxophone work on the beat (I believe it`s a sax` anyway :)! Toronto`s Nigel Woodz & Neva Hurd connect on the Gospel R&B vibed "Answer The Door", Woodz handles the singin` while Neva Hurd spits the raps. This joint may not be for everyone, but you can`t deny that it`s message is on the positive tip, no question. Alphabetic & Guck collab` for "All Day", I believe that these kats rep` Kamloops, BC (if I`m wrong please school me!). This joint for me just doesn`t hold my attention, the beat`s decent but it`s mainly the emcees` flows that I wasn`t really DiGG`n much. They just didn`t seem too enthusiastic with their rhymes on this one. Don`t judge by this track alone though because I`ve heard some other joints on Guck`s soundcloud that are pretty entertaining...


New Jersey emcee SageInfinite does his thing on "The Puzzle", droppin` them deep thought sparkin` lyrics. Lettin` the listeners know that Life is a puzzle & getting the pieces to fit is a struggle, that`s why Life isn`t a walk in the park. Continuing with the Jersey vibe P Genz delivers his second track on this compilation titled "Metropolis Nights", it`s got a nice laid~back vibe to it. Freeport, New York`s P-Hill drops the love laced track "For You", a joint that has the emcee professing his love over a syrupy~mellow beat. Back to Toronto for Neva Hurd`s second appearance on this compilation with the storytelling joint "Baby Momz". Over a cinematic type backdrop Hurd kicks the tale of a baby mother & her struggles. Following the storytelling SageInfinite contributes his second joint on the compilation titled "Heat!" The beat`s got a nostalgic 8-bit NES vibe to it while Sage` spits lyrical flames...


"Let`s Ride" is P Genz`s third outing, this time around he switches things up & decides to holla at the ladies with this one, it`s got a lil` R&B flavor to it. Dublin, Ireland gets represented on this compilation as well with Terawrizt & Rawsoul`s "So Cold". It`s a nice track stocked with a beat that compliments both katz` flows as they kick lyrics about this cold~cold world that we`re livin` in. "Brave In The Heart" is another Irish contribution by Nugget & Terawriz, it`s got a similar vibe to the previous track. A decent outing, though I prefer "So Cold" a lil` more. After those 2 songs we head back to New Jersey for Chris Morale`s "Untouchable". It`s a short lil` track clockin` in at just under 2 minutes which is fine with me because Chris` flow on here is a lil` uninspired, the beat`s nice with it`s dark vibes though. Delivering his third & fourth contributions for the compilation SageInfinite gives us both the original version as well as the remix for "What`s Ya` Life Worth?" Both joints are bangin` in my opinion so it`s hard to choose which version I like best. Beat~wise I just can`t call it `cuz I`m DiGG`n `em equally, lyrically Sage` spits some thought sparkin` ish regarding one`s self worth...

 
P Genz gives us his fourth & final contribution with the James Brown vibed "Jam Session (Get Down)", would definitely love to get a hold of the instrumental for this track (as well as the closing track :). "Family" is a posse cut type of joint featuring the likes of Othello, Jyoung, P.H.I.L.T.H.Y, Poems, Venson, Omega & Red Pill. I`m not sure where exactly these kats are from, but they do deliver some good flows over it`s jazzy~vibed beat. Things close out with the R&B vibes of New York`s Mista Perez`s "Meditation". The beat`s great, I really like the sax`D out rhythms! So there ya have it y`all much like Wyze Intellect`s first installment in this Meditation series you get songs from not only Canada & the US, but Ireland as well. Beat~wise this compilation is pretty DaMn solid, song~wise it`s a decent outing. Not every song is great, but overall it`s a solid effort. Wyze Intellect definitely shows that he`s a versatile producer that can tackle a wide variety of styles which makes for a nice listen. So go `head & check it out, if ya DiG what you`ve heard & you want to support some DoPe music feel free to visit his BandCamp page & cop the project there...

 Wyze Intellect Presents - Meditation: Chapter 2

Label: N/A

Released: 2014

1. Awake Bounce {Othello}
2. Grand Slam {P Genz}
3. Nice Guys Finish Last {Muneshine & Ghettosocks}
4. Rest {Kastaway}
5. I Used To {Mr. Erbie & Ty Nitty}
6. It`s Theo! [Rmx] {Theology3}
7. Hip Hop {dCypha & Nya Thryce}
8. Answer The Door {Nigel Woodz & Neva Hurd}
9. All Day {Alphabetic & Guck}
10. The Puzzle {SageInfinite}
11. Metropolis Nights {P Genz}
12. For You {P-Hill}
13. Baby Momz {Neva Hurd}
14. Heat! {SageInfinite}
15. Let`s Ride {P Genz}
16. So Cold {Terawrizt & Rawsoul}
17. Brave In The Heart {Nugget & Terawrizt}
18. Untouchable {Chris Morale}
19. What`s Ya` Life Worth [Original & Rmx] {SageInfinite}
20. Jam Session (Get Down) {P Genz}
21. Family {Othello, Jyoung, P.H.I.L.T.H.Y, Poems, Venson, Omega & Red Pill}
22. Meditation {Mista Perez}

N`JoY...

HeaTHeR HuNTeR`s "The UnExPeCTeD" (Re~uPP`d)...

Just thought I`d let y`all know in case you weren`t aware of it, I finally re~uPP`d Heather Hunter`s Rap album "The Unexpected". Figured since it`s the post on my blog with the most hits that it should have some working links, so feel free to check it out...

Here`s a few other songs that she`s been featured on...

Here`s a joint that she did before she released the album...

House tune that she did back in `93...

No rappin` here, but how could we not include this video that she was featured in...

N`JoY...