According to Seositecheckup.com, a website built to help audit your domain and tell you how to improve your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) so that you can gain more viewers and be ranked higher on search engines such as Google or Yahoo!, there are some pretty interesting entries into the Roseandblog’s most popular keywords and associated searches. Figuring that these searches weighed heavily on you readers, I thought I’d take the time to address these FAQ and answer the top five most popular searches associated with the Roseandblog.
#5 – “best bet cypher”
As some of you may know, every year the B.E.T. network puts on the B.E.T. Awards honoring black actors, musicians, athletes, and prominent figures. Throughout the awards ceremony, many black R&B and rap artists are showcased in “cypher” videos in which four-to-five or so artists take their turn rapping over the same beat. These cyphers are usually arranged from rappers of the same label, city, or through a “new artist” showcase.
Picking the best B.E.T. cypher of all time is a tough choice, especially since pretty much every rapper you can think of was at once part of a B.E.T. cypher, and some more than once. Top favorites include G.O.O.D. Music from 2010, and Mos Def/Eminem/Black Thought from 2009, but if you want the best cyphers from 2016’s B.E.T. Awards, I have a round-up of the top five here.
#4 – “Method Man Staten Island”
Yes, to avoid all further confusion: Method Mad, a rapper in the Wu-Tang Clan, is from Staten Island, like most of the Wu-Tang members. Apparently that needed some clearing up but yes, those that wondered can rest easy now knowing that their search was right.
#3 – “ScHoolboy Q baby momma”
Possibly in reference to either ScHoolboy Q and his daughter at the 2017 Grammy’s (pictured left), or the review of his last record Blank Face LP, some people were wondering who was the mother to little miss “I learned how to smile from my father.” Apparently ScHoolboy Q was asked the same question himself in a tweet from 2014 to which he responded: “a woman I love deeply.” While I regretfully don’t know the woman’s name, I can tell you that his daughter’s name is Joyce Hanley, and has been featured in countless music videos and speaking roles on his record Oxymoron.
#2 – “best Kendrick verse”
This might be one of the hardest questions to answer ever. Right up there with “what happens when you die?” and “what is love? (baby don’t hurt me).” As for my favorite Kendrick Lamar song off of his newest record DAMN… while you can read the full review here, I can easily tell you that my favorite track off the record is “FEEL.,” and I wouldn’t be too surprised to see it become April 2017’s Verse of the Month either.
As for some of my favorite verses from Kendrick Lamar however, refer to this little list I put together just for you:
- “A.D.H.D.” and “Rigamortus” from Section.80
- “1Train” by A$AP Rocky from LONG.LIVE.A$AP
- “Backseat Freestyle,” “M.A.A.D. City,” “Swimming Pools,” “Sing About Me,” and “The Recipe” from Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City
- “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe (Remix) [feat. Jay-Z]”
- “Never Catch Me” by Flying Lotus from You’re Dead!
- “Collard Greens” by ScHoolboy Q from Oxymoron
- “Money Over Love” by Bilal from In Another Life
- “For Free?,” “These Walls,” “u,” “Alright,” “The Blacker the Berry,” and basically all of To Pimp a Butterfly
- “No More Parties in L.A.” by Kanye West from The Life of Pablo
- “Freedom” by Beyoncé from Lemonade
- “Really Doe” by Danny Brown from Atrocity Exhibition
- “Holy Key” by DJ Khaled from Major Key
- “Wat’s Wrong” by Isaiah Rashad from The Sun’s Tirade
- “untitled 01 l 08.19.2014.” and “untitled 02 | 06.23.2014.” from untitled.unmastered.
- “THat Part (Black Hippy Remix)” by ScHoolboy Q
- “Walk on By” by Thundercat from Drunk
- “DNA.,” “FEEL.,” “XXX.,” and “FEAR.” from DAMN.
So yeah I hope that suffices.
And, the number one search associated with the Roseandblog…
#1 – “what does brazy mean?”
This is 100% in reference to YG’s last album Still Brazy, and an amazing question.
There exists two major gangs in L.A. known as the Bloods and the Crips. The Bloods wear red and the Crips were blue. Famously throughout hip-hop/rap, rappers from Compton or L.A. would have at one time been associated or part of one of these two gangs and for some people, gang-life is basically all there is. Well-known rappers associated with the Crips are Snoop Dogg, Eazy-E, Ice-T, Coolio, Tone Loc, Young Jeezy, and ScHoolboy Q, while the Bloods side includes The Game, Lil Wayne, Suge Knight, Waka Flocka Flame, Jay Rock, and YG.
Those these rappers might be associated with the gangs of their past, most rappers still collaborate on each other’s tracks and stay relatively friendly in the rap world despite being from rival gangs. For instance, ScHoolboy Q and Jay Rock are on the same label and are great friends, The-Game has recorded songs with Snoop Dogg, and many other instances.
In regards to the question “what does brazy mean?,” there exists in some sections of the Blood’s a rule that is often mocked by popular culture that any words that would start with the letter “C,” just like their rivals the Crips, has to be replaced by the letter “B.” For instance, their is another song on YG’s record called “Bool, Balm, and Bollective” instead of “Cool, Calm, and Collective.” YG’s record Still Brazy, would then translate as “Still Crazy.” It’s an odd form of gang-lingo and respect, as YG explained to VLAD.TV during his story of how the city of Compton came to be known as “Bompton” to the Bloods.
In Los Angeles… we change our C words to B’s. It ain’t no disrespect. And the Crips change all their B’s to C’s… ‘serious,’ even thought that ain’t a C word, we say berious… we say bomedy for comedy. Kool-aid, boo-laid. It’s like a fashion.
So there ya have it folks, questions answered. A good list of Kendrick Lamar songs, some B.E.T. videos, affirmation that Method Mad is indeed from Staten Island, and the mystery of “brazy” solved.
Check back tomorrow for some more Roseandblog and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter to never miss a post!