Celph Titled creates new classic with '90s throwback

This is track eight on Celph Titled's new collaboration with Buckwild, Nineteen Ninety Now, released on Tuesday. If you've never heard R.A the Rugged Man, the rapper who The Notorious B.I.G. did a song with and said was better than him back when he was alive, then this is a treat.

Celph Titled is a rapper from Tampa, Florida who is a member of the underground rap super-group Army of the Pharaohs and has done songs with fellow member Apathy on the Fort Minor project of Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda.

Celph is a boisterous and clever rapper that delivers punchline after punchline of violent and aggressive rhymes, coining nicknames like "The Landmine Lieutenant" for himself. He's put out albums in a group with Apathy called The Demigodz as well as albums of solo work, which he combined in a full-length collection called The Gatalog. On this album he's working with Buckwild, the legendary producer of the mid-'90s group Diggin' In The Crates, which included Big L.

This is different from the average collaboration album with a great from the '90s, though, because all these beats are actually brought back from the '90s. All of them are unreleased tracks that Celph Titled selected from a collection Buckwild never put to use, and Celph crafted new verses to create a modern retro-style classic.

On this release Celph continues to get even better with punchlines while improving his flow compared to all of his previous albums, and just like always his songs would have to be unrecognizable by the time they were edited enough to be on the radio. He responds to a diss by fellow underground rapper Cage by dissing him relentlessly on two separate tracks, and starts right in with his witty and raw punchlines on the very first song of the album, "The Deal Maker:"

"This is my movie in 3D, Slice your neck wit' a Fugees CD / and stick Lauryn Hill with the coroner's bill"

Celph's gritty yet humorous style and smooth flow fit perfectly with Buckwild's pure-'90s beats. This goes straight to the Top Ten underground hip-hop albums of the year.

AZ releasing "Doe or Die:15th Anniversary Edition" to hold fans over until sequel

AZ, the legendary rapper who had the only guest appearance on Nas' debut Illmatic, was supposed to release the sequel to his own debut, Doe or Die 2, before 2010 was over. But an anniversary edition of the original album is what fans will get instead.

AZ will still come out with the sequel, which will be all-new material. The hold-up is being caused by a common culprit that most rappers can't avoid: looking for a new label. He's announced that it will definitely be released in 2011, and that recording will be completed by the time that year is here.

What he's releasing on November 23, Doe or Die: 15th Anniversary Edition, is for the purpose of keeping new music coming out, he said. The album will consist of at least four completely new tracks, and around six of the originals from Doe or Die. The originals will have new beats, some having new verses and some having the original ones, with AZ "spitting them again." He said that some of the originals that will appear on the anniversary edition include the classics "Sugar Hill" and "Rather Unique."

Some producers who are on board for Doe or Die 2 include Pete Rock and Boston-native Statik Selektah. AZ announced last year that he was looking to have Kanye West and Dr. Dre work with him on the album, but it hasn't been confirmed if either of them will come through.

Read a whole Q+A session with AZ about the albums on hiphopdx.com.

I've been way more excited about Doe or Die 2 all year than I am about the anniversary CD now, but it sounds like the re-release will still definitely be worth listening to. AZ is showing loyalty to his fans by putting this out, and I can tell that he's really eager to get the sequel out and wants it to be as good as he can make it. He put out two mixtapes last year, G.O.D. (Gold, Oil and Diamonds) and Legendary, which both had some really solid tracks, especially "Bonafied."

I saw AZ and Cormega live at the Middle East in Cambridge last year, and it was the best hip-hop show I've been to by far (even though I need to get that number up, compared to the rock shows I've been to). They were both originally in Nas' supergroup The Firm, and yet they're both definitively underground, but that only makes it more exciting to be one of their fans.

This is a song slated to be on Doe or Die 2. AZ is looking official with the cigar in this video.

Kno's first solo album sets him apart

Kno is simply the best hip-hop producer you don't know about.

The producer of Kentucky hip-hop group CunninLynguists released his debut solo album, Death is Silent, today.  Kno only laid down four verses over CunninLynguists' last four albums, so this is the most rapping he's done in a long time, doing most of the vocals on the album with appearances from fellow CunninLynguists members Deacon the Villain and Natti, plus others.  The album is entirely produced by him, as he works to cement his name as the best producer in the Southern underground hip-hop game.

As the title might make you think, Death is Silent is a concept album.  Braving the topic of death gracefully, the album follows the theme of different ways it affects major aspects of life like love and family.  Kno's best-executed verse in both lyrics and delivery reflects the theme perfectly on "They Told Me":

"(They told me) that I'll soon see the light, if I like it or not / That's the icing on top of the cake that is baked for a tot / So he's taught, to count the days 'til he drops"

Kno has always held his own lyrically on CunninLynguists material, but Death is Silent makes it seem like he's been practicing even while he's hardly stepped up to the mic, showing solid writing and flowing skills that go along with the concept.  Mainly staying away from punchlines with Cunnin', on some of the album's more upbeat tracks like "Graveyard" he displays skills with those too:

"I'm the Talcum Malcolm, the emo Primo / Got no need for beef, got a vegan ego"

Calling himself the "Emo Primo," a reference to DJ Premier, Kno created amazing beats for this album and didn't let down those who recognize him as an icon of Southern beat-making.  Kno utilizes the types of sounds with strings that he's often used in his past work to compliment the theme of the album excellently.  Some hardcore fans of hip-hop criticize the use of samples in songs because they're not created by the artist, but this is a technique that the great DJ Premier uses to create combinations of clips of rapper's past vocals to create unique new sounds, and Kno is known as one of the best at finding the right sample for the right song.  A perfect example is the chorus of "Spread Your Wings," where he uses a sample of a female singer's vocals to form an atmosphere:

"If you do, spread your wings please let me know/ Take me with you when you go / You can't leave me here alone"

I pre-ordered this album and got it in the mail today.  It's one of the few albums I've actually bought in the past few years; I buy an album when it's that good and it makes me want to support the artist.

You can get the instrumentals of the album for free when you buy a copy through the Boston-based undergroundhiphop.com.

RIP Gregory...Your music will live on forever

Gregory Isaacs was a reggae musician born in 1951 in Jamaica who was known and respected around the world for his vocal skills. Gregory toured the world often after achieving world-wide fame and jumped around to different labels, mostly high-profile ones. He continued to perform live into this century and released a critically-acclaimed album in 2008.

More than 500 Gregory Isaacs albums were released during his career, a lot of them being compilations.

Gregory died today in London after a long fight with lung cancer.

DJ Premier unveils details for Premier vs. Pete Rock album

Hip-hop fans have been waiting a long time to find out what would happen if  the beat-making forces of DJ Premier and Pete Rock collided on one album.  Soon they're about to find out.  DJ Premier recently unveiled some details about how it will be laid out in an interview with ItsBongoBoy.com

Premier, the acclaimed producer that was one half of Gang Starr, will choose six MCs and do six songs.  Pete Rock, the acclaimed producer from Pete Rock & CL Smooth, will do the same.

It's "like a friendly battle," said Premier.  Each of them can pick either individual MCs or groups, he said.

Rolling Stone magazine named DJ Premier arguably the best producer in hip-hop history.  In the past, Premier has been a long-time collaborator with the group M.O.P., and has worked with rappers such as Blaq Poet, KRS One, and recently Kanye West.  Pete Rock has worked with rappers ranging from members of Wu Tang to Boston-native EDO G, and recently Kanye West.  Those MCs are likely choices for each respective producer.

Premier is working on an album with KRS One that will be a follow-up to 1993's Return of the Boom Bap, and is still waiting to get things going with a compilation album between himself and Nas.

"Fable 3" commercial features Jim Morrison reincarnation

This song by a band called The Black Angels is used in commercials I've been seeing for a videogame called Fable 3. I've never played any of the games but the song makes it seem epic. The band is pretty good, they're a mix of blues and psychedelic rock, and the singer sounds a lot like Jim Morrison from The Doors.

The Black Angels are a band from Austin, Texas. They formed in 2005 and built a good amount of their popularity through their Myspace page and by being a supporting act on tours with bands like The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age, and Wolfmother. Their name is derived from a song by The Velvet Underground, "The Black Angel's Death Song."

Structure and Story Online

      "I didn't have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one."

       That's a great quote from Mark Twain.  It's true.  Longer, wordy stuff flows out easier but short is better, more effective.  That's why it's harder to write.  It shows you mean business.

        Chapter 13 is really useful, it has info that makes me not want to sell the book at the end of the semester and use it again later.

       Lately I've been questioning whether I want to use the 'Inverted Pyramid' all the time, but the chapter shows that it's the perfect style for writing online.  The lead and the beginning of the body are really the hardest part to write because it's the 'newest' part that makes your story different from anything that already came out.  You make that part interesting so people will at least read that, and if they don't read the whole thing to the end then it doesn't matter since it's just supporting information that you gathered.

       The four rules given on page 189 are all really good too.  When I first read number 2, "Cut useless verbiage," I thought it was harsh that he said the "amateurish, chatty stuff" is what has to go, but I realized that I already stay away from writing that stuff.  Writing leads is what teaches you how to do that, and blogs are actually really good practice for it.  I try to start my blog posts with something that will catch a person's eye and make them click on it and read the rest, especially since people looking through blogs are considering reading something, but it has to be interesting.

       That Mark Twain quote is rule number 4, "It's harder to write short than long."  That goes along with getting rid of funny, word-play headlines.  They're one of the more creative parts of journalistic writing, but sometimes it shows through that they're unnecessary, and it's a relief when you can just write a standard, uncreative headline that just sums up the story.  That's what catches the eye if the person would even be interested.

       I also agree with the point that links are effective and that Wikipedia has way too many.  And I like the Stephen Colbert reference.

Reggae-rock meets rap in concept collaboration

Some rappers and a reggae-rock band did a U.S. tour together at the beginning of this year, and then decided to do this song together, and it is a sick collaboration.

Zion I is a hip-hop duo from Oakland, California who released their first album in 2000, which was nominated for Independent Album of the Year by The Source magazine. They gained more exposure and respect with their critically-acclaimed third album True and Livin' which came out in 2005, and again with their fifth album released in 2006 called Heroes in the City of Dope, featuring the single "Spinnin'" that was on the soundtrack of the movie "Grandma's Boy." Their song "Go Hard" was featured in the video game NBA Live '10.

Rebelution is a California band that mixes reggae and rock, who covered Bob Marley's song "Natural Mystic" on the compilation album Tribute to a Reggae Legend released in July. Forming in 2005, their debut album released in 2007 titled Courage to Grow gamed them heavy radio play in LA with the song "Safe and Sound." Additionally, the album was named the iTunes Editor's Choice for Best Reggae Album of 2007.

After the tour together this year, Zion I and Rebelution kicked off another one tonight in Missouri, and will be coming to Providence on October 29.

This song was a great idea and makes the mixing of their styles sound effortless.

CKY coming back to Boston

Ever watched "Jackass"?  Then you've heard CKY. 
       The progressive-rock band CKY, a mix of rock, metal and punk, has been featured in many of the show's episodes.  Their songs fit well with the type of stuff the "Jackass" guys do, and they probably use it to motivate themselves, too.  The band was like the "house band" for the videos made by drummer Jess Margera's brother Bam, who was already being a "Jackass" with his friends before the show.  Both the band and Bam's videos went by the name CKY, and both gained some popularity at about the same time.

       I first heard CKY in one of the earliest episodes of "Jackass," when Bam's CKY is making hit television in a parking lot with some shopping carts and "96 Quite Bitter Beings" as the background music, a song with an unforgettable guitar riff.  Ever since then I've been a fan, and in August of '09 I saw them live at the Paradise in Boston.  I mostly went to see one of my favorite bands, ASG, who have been featured in "Viva La Bam," and opened for CKY that night.  Altogether it was a sick show; both are absolutely worth seeing live.  The new album they were supporting, "Carver City," has been called their best yet, both inviting new fans with accessible sound and appeasing diehard fans with new songs that are "classic CKY" like "Hellions On Parade".  Plenty of those diehard fans were definitely at the show, it's the only one I've been to where everyone in the back just pushes everybody into the stage until there's no one that's not shoulder-to-shoulder.

       I would definitely go see them again, but I don't want to ruin the last show since there's no ASG this time.  I'm thinking about going to see them at the Paradise again when they come back on November 11.

       A new song CKY just came out with is being played during the credits of "Jackass 3D."  On that note, I'm about to go see it right now.  I knoww it's going to win some Grammys.
      

Boston rap duo 7L & Esoteric release new album "1212"

       The Boston-native combination of producer 7L and MC Esoteric released their first album in four years on October 8.

       7L & Esoteric make heavy underground hip-hop, being known best for their membership in Army of the Pharaohs, the supergroup of east coast rappers led by Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks.  7L makes aggressive beats filled with piano-style keyboard samples and plenty of bass, perfect for Esoteric's fast, hardcore delivery with excellent rhyme skill and raw lyrics that often represent his hometown with Red Sox and  Celtics references.

       1212 is what the duo calls their "darkest" album yet.  Where they were aiming for the atmosphere of the album is shown well with an appearance by a Wu Tang member, Inspectah Deck.  The track he's on, "12th Chamber," is a reference to Wu Tang songs with similar names, like the epic "4th Chamber" by GZA.  "12th Chamber" is a good look at the rest of the album, a gritty song with overtones of enforcing your authority by way of deathly battle lyrics.  Following the same theme is "Bare Knuckle Boxing," featuring Ill Bill of rap supergroup La Coka Nostra and fellow Army of the Pharaohs members Vinnie Paz and Reef the Lost Cauze.

       Esoteric also gets behind the boards, producing three tracks on the album, the most impressive being "Drawbar 1,2" featuring nice verses from Alchemist and Evidence.  7L comes strong with the beats as always,  and Esoteric still never misses steps in flowing over them.

       If you've never heard of this Boston group, it's a good time to check them out on the album where they say they're "bringin' it back to the essence."

A free CD of the album's instrumentals comes with it when you buy from Boston-based outlet undergroundhiphop.com .

Washington Post compares Freddie Gibbs to 2Pac

       Earlier this year, Freddie Gibbs gained some recognition when he became the first unsigned rapper to appear on the cover of the hip-hop magazine XXL, but he seems destined for success when his debut album gets reviewed by the Washington Post, and in it they compare him to 2Pac.

       The review of Str8 Killa is nothing but positive, saying that the new rapper has no interest in "hanging out with Weezy" and mentions a history that includes robbing freight trains and a major label deal that turned sour.  The reference to Lil Wayne is significant in relating his situation as the reverse of Freddie Gibbs, Wayne having major popularity but a lack of agreement on skill, resulting in his claims to being the "greatest rapper alive" frequently heard but never confirmed.  The Post calls Gibbs "an underground sensation beloved by hip-hop fans and indie rockers alike."

       During a time of materialism-filled videos and an endless supply of auto-tune on the radio "when gangsta rap has mostly fallen out of favor," Gibbs sounds like the New Depression-era reincarnation of a familiar face.  These tough times can easily recall the positive messages delivered about dealing with struggle back around the time of "Troublesome '96," and Gibbs matches up to 2Pac in both sound and subject matter.  Maybe a new figure delivering life-like visualizations of street life in the form of gangster rap is exactly what the hip-hop world needs and wants, 2Pac still being the best-selling rapper of all-time.  The Post comments on the word-around-the-watercooler comparison by saying that "Gibbs seems less interested in being the savior of 2010 hip-hop than in being the second coming of 2Pac, a comparison that Killa encourages stylistically and narratively."

Enjoy the sounds of 2Pac?  Check out Freddie Gibbs.

The Washington Post article: Album review: Freddie Gibbs, "Str8 Killa"

A video-interview with Freddie Gibbs: Freddie Gibbs: Does keeping it real still matter? [XXL Video]

Free download of the Freddie Gibbs mixtape Str8 Killa No Filla: Download Freddie Gibbs's "Str8 Killa No Filla" Now

Roles and Skills for Cross-Platform Reporting

       The main thing this chapter got me thinking about is how I should continue to round out my skill-set before I start looking for an organization to get involved with once I graduate college.  I'm definitely behind in most of the new media skills that the chapter talked about, but I felt confident when it mentioned the two things that you absolutely need to have: good writing skills and an open mind. 

"Fortunately, the skills you need don't include using a crystal ball.  The skills you need are traditional journalistic ones such as research and storytelling...with a digital update."

       That reassured me, because I don't believe in crystal balls.  That quote pretty much sums up the chapter and it's a really good message to college students who want to enter the "dying profession."  It's not dying, it's changing; typewriter manufacturers probably didn't die off, they started making computer keyboards.  As long as I can write, then I just need to adapt to the new ways that my writing will be put out there.

       The media tools being talked about in the chapter made me realize more clearly and made me glad that we need to keep this blog for the class:

"An editor will not only manage content for the print publication but also keep a blog and maintain a presence on Facebook."

Before this semester I knew near to nothing about blogging.  I saw it as a certain type of writing that's done by the type of person who spends too much time on their computer, but now I realize that as long as it's me writing about what I mean to write about then it's a great way to target something specific and get people involved.  Way back in the days of myspace I saw that bands keep blogs, and that's a perfect example of how it's a tool to promote yourself with, whatever you do to make money.  And it feels good to think all my time spent on Facebook wasn't wasted.  Everyyyythinggg wants to be a social network now, iTunes even changed its sidebar application to 'Ping,' a "social network for music."

      Another thing this chapter made me glad about is my Communication major/Media Studies concentration.  I definitely feel like I'm in the right place knowing that I want to write as a career, even comparing it to maybe being an English major.  I do want to start an English minor soon, but now I'll focus on getting a wider media background, too.  I still have time left in college to start exploring media, and I should, especially since the credits will count and when a potential employer looks at my transcript it won't be seen as wasted time but as useful skills. 

"The new reporting environment means reporters need, at minimum, proficiency in audio, video, and image editing."

I guess it's time to go and buy a digital camera and take an editing class.

Also, this chapter made it clear that the book was written for a Canadian audience.  I noticed all the references to Canada in the other chapters but didn't realize that, I'm not sure if it was mentioned in class.  That's OK, though.  Canada's cool.

Nas is next move in collaboration album with DJ Premier

Premier told fans at a show in Africa that he wants to produce an album for Nas:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaO2cVhKknI&feature=player_embedded

       Nas, who recently accused Def Jam of stalling the release of his new mixtape, Lost Tapes 2, has yet to give a response to Premier on the possibility.  The two talked about doing the project as early as 2006, and Nas spoke to MTV about it in 2008, as well as about wanting to do an album with Dr. Dre.  The upcoming Lost Tapes 2 is produced by Pete Rock; if the other two projects were to come to fruition, it would mark collaborations with arguably the three greatest producers in hip-hop.
       Nas clearly wants to make an impact on the hip-hop world in the near future judging from his statements in the "open letter" he wrote to Def Jam about stalling his album: "Open the REAL budget.  This is a New York pioneer's ALBUM, there ain't many of us."  He is by no means afraid to expand his career to include interesting collaborations in order to do that, shown by the album with Damian Marley released in May of this year, Distant Relatives.
       The making of that album was an early example of Nas sitting on the idea of a collaboration album.  Ever since "Road to Zion," the track on Damian's 2005 album Welcome to Jamrock, Nas had wanted to do an entire album with the reggae-rapper, which was to be completed five years later.

       Nas announced on his Twitter on September 15 that Lost Tapes 2 is coming soon.

The mean streets of Gary, Indiana revive gangster rap

       Apparently they actually are mean streets.
      
       Freddie Gibbs delivers tales of surviving in the ghetto doing whatever it takes, legal or not, on his debut EP, Str8 Killa, but the difference between his album and what many people call "gangster rap" that's played on the radio is that Freddie depicts the downsides of hustling instead of the bragging rights he gains from doing it. Gibbs manages to have gritty lyrics about life on the streets without glamorizing any part of the lifestyle, which sets him apart from every other rapper trying to break into the industry.  No matter what the content of the songs on the album, he highlights the consequences of hustling for survival and his message is always to keep your head up and try to do what's right.
      
       The first time I heard Freddie Gibbs was when I listened to his track "Close Your Eyes" last year from his first mixtape, The Miseducation of Freddie Gibbs.  I could tell he was different by the Ozzy Osborne sample that's used in the hook and actually fits the song really well.  He released that mixtape himself, as well as his second one, Midwestgangstaboxframecadillacmuzik, both in 2009 after first showing promise by being signed to Interscope in 2007 but leaving over disagreements.  He stayed busy recording tracks and was featured on fellow midwest-underground rappers CunninLynguists album Strange Journey:Volume II on the track "Imperial."
       CunninLynguists' producer Kno reunites with Gibbs on Str8 Killa for the track "The Coldest," which gives no less deep of a look into life in the ghetto than any other track on the EP.  The most potent example of that perspective out of all nine tracks has to be "Rock Bottom":

"If you a man, then put some muthafucking food on the table / That's what she said / but still a n**** wasn't able / to get up some bread for the rent, lights, and cable / The gas and water / she's acting like I'm trying to starve her / and I know the baby growing in her belly gotta eat too / Only thing I got left is this gun on my belt / if I can't feed myself how am I going to feed you?"

       That song features "underground king" Bun B of UGK, and other features on the album include Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids and even Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys laying down a hook.  What makes Freddie Gibbs still underground despite those mainstream features is his refusal to come up with fake themes to make more money, relentlessly relaying his images of true life whenever he picks up a mic.  If Str8 Killa gets him success with the masses, Gibbs doesn't see himself standing among the typical mainstream rappers who are getting promo time on MTV:

"Player haters, fuck 'em / Record labels, fuck 'em / Radio, fuck 'em / All my shit still be bumpin'"

he raps on "National Anthem (Fuck the World)," the track where he details his hometown, his departure from Interscope, and his struggle to become the voice of "the midwest streets."  Gibbs was signed by Decon Records for a single-album deal, and will be looking for new sponsorship for his sophomore release.

       This is the video for  "National Anthem (Fuck the World)" with pretty good production yet not a 24" inch rim or rain-shower of money in sight.

Interviewing in the Digital Age

       This chapter came just at the right time.  I've been wondering if I would be able to use an email interview for my class article but wasn't sure if it's really acceptable, and the chapter answered all the questions I had.  Any interviews I need to do for The Comment can usually be done with someone that's right on campus, but for my news feature for class I want to do something I'm really interested in so I might need to try to get someone that's harder to reach or too busy for an in-person interview.  The book said that nothing is better than an in-person interview pretty much because it puts them on the spot and you can make it more personal and interact with them, and that's exactly what I figured would make an email interview maybe not good enough to use for a story.  

       A perfect example of how emailing can take longer to get the answers, just like the book said, is when I wrote my first article this year.  I emailed both the dean of Math and Science and the dean of Social Sciences and Humanities to see if they would be available for an interview or to just email me their answers to my questions, just two days before my deadline.  One of the deans emailed me back pretty quick and was available for an interview the next day, while the other one took longer to respond and ended up emailing me the answers a day after my deadline.  I was still able to write a good story with quotes from just one of them, and the quotes from the in-person interview were better quality anyway.

       The info in the chapter about how to do your in-person interview is really helpful too.  When I interviewed the chief of campus police it felt like he didn't have much to say on the subject, so I let there be pauses when I caught up on my notes and he would add to what he was saying, and it was usually more useful than his original answer.

       I might take another shot at an email interview for my news feature, but I want to use the style that the book suggested, one question at a time.  I don't know how I could do that without sounding like a douche so I'll ask Cope for tips on that.

My 2nd Favorite Band is in Boston on my Birthday

       I just found out that what has to be my 2nd favorite band, The Expendables, are going to be in Boston on the day of my 21st birthday, and I am wicked pumped.  Tickets go on sale tomorrow and I am definitely going even though it's on a Tuesday.  They're playing at the Paradise Rock Club on Comm. Ave in Boston in November, where I saw them last year when they toured around the same time.  I like that place for shows, it's small so you can get up pretty close, and they get some good acts there.  The Expendables are an awesome band to see live, they sound like Stick Figure with the reggae but with punk and ska thrown in so it's way faster and heavier.  The first time I saw them was when they opened for 311, which has to be my favorite band, last summer at the Comcast Center in Mansfield.  I actually got to see The Expendables twice there because the power when out after they played the first time, so the show got postponed until the next Monday and they played again.  They came on before Ziggy Marley, and both times they ended with "Sacrifice," probably their best song and it was amazing.  They're a really chill band, they had a table set up after they played and I went down to meet them and get a Slightly Stoopid tour flyer signed by all of them; they had those at the show to promote Slightly Stoopid, the band that discovered The Expendables and signed them to their label.   The Expendables dropped a new album over the summer called "Prove It" and it will be sick to see some of those songs live.  I'm pumped for my 4th time seeing them, hopefully I'll grab a few legal drinks at the bar at Paradise, and I'll review the new album soon as a preview to the show.  And as a side-note they came out way before the movie, their first album dropped in 2001.

This is the video for "Sacrifice" by The Expendables:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_MSVALPhro