Redman

Phife Rules The City In His Posthumous ‘Nutshell Pt 2’ Video With Busta Rhymes And Redman

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Although the video for Phife’s “Nutshell Pt. 2” was delayed for nearly four years, the fallen hip-hop legend actually does appear in the clip alongside his co-stars Busta Rhymes and Redman. Decked out in his customary New York Knicks orange and blue, Phife delivers his densely-worded verse at a diner with his fellow Big Apple denizens as they flex their way through their freestyle flows and celebrate the late, great Phife.

The video, directed by Tony Reames and produced by Dion “Rasta Root” Liverpool, also features cameos from A Tribe Called Quest’s Q-Tip and frequent collaborator Consequence. Phife worked on the video and his upcoming album Forever prior to his death in 2016, with his family praising his efforts in a press release:

“He worked really hard to complete his album before he transitioned, and he was ready to share an album that was near and dear to his heart with his fans. His fans meant the world to him.”

“Nutshell Pt. 2” was rolled out impressively over the last several weeks after being announced in February. It was released the next day, with a lyrics video following shortly after. The video arrives on the fifth anniversary of Phife Dawg’s passing.

Watch Phife’s “Nutshell Pt. 2” video above.

Earth, Wind & Fire, The Isley Brothers, Method Man, And Redman Are Among The Next ‘Verzuz’ Contestants

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On Saturday, Verzuz made its return with a hip-hop focused battle between Wu-Tang Clan members, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah. The matchup saw fans head on a trip down memory lane through the artists’ respective catalogs, both as solo acts and with their Wu-Tang cohorts.

From Ghostface’s Supreme Clientele and Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx to Wu Tang’s 36 Chambers, viewers enjoyed the battle, which proved to be more of a collaborative affair if anything. Once the night came to an end, Verzuz returned with exciting announcements for the future.

Shortly after Raekwon and Ghostface Killah’s battle concluded, Verzuz announced a string of matchups folks can expect to see over the next couple of months. First, the platform will welcome The Isley Brothers and Earth, Wind & Fire for an exciting Easter Sunday competition on April 4.

“Time to SHOUT for the #IsleyBrothers!” Verzuz said on Instagram, referencing their 1959 debut album, Shout! Less than three weeks later, the Timbaland and Swizz Beatz-led platform will return with a battle between Redman and Method Man for a “How High” special on April 20.

As if the pair of announcements weren’t enough, Verzuz also confirmed an untitled battle on May 8, a “Mother’s Day Special” on May 9, and a “Rematch” during Memorial Day weekend. A “Ladies Night” and two additional untitled battles were also revealed, but their dates were not shared. Participants for these matchups were also withheld in the announcement.

You can read the flyer for the upcoming Verzuz nights above.

Phife Dawg’s ‘Nutshell Part 2’ Gets An Animated Lyric Video With Busta Rhymes And Redman

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Just in case the densely-packed wordplay in Phife Dawg‘s posthumous “Nutshell Part 2” got away from you, the song now has an animated lyric video to help make it easier to follow Phife, Busta Rhymes, and Redman‘s elaborate rhyme schemes. The video, which you can watch above, is exclusively premiering here at Uproxx. Featuring illustrated versions of our rhyme heroes bursting forth from a literal nutshell and dynamic synchronized artwork, the Mike Gordon-created lyric video (with additional animation from Konee Rok) is the latest part of the rollout for Phife’s upcoming posthumous album Forever, which is due later this year on AWAL.

Forever will be Phife’s first solo album since 2000’s Ventilation: Da LP, and while there’s little information so far, “Nutshell Part 2” gives us enough to go on to assume that it’ll make good use of the Five Footer’s contact list. Word has it, there’s still plenty of posthumous J Dilla production work yet to be released, so it’s possible that more beats from the late, great Detroit legend will appear here, along with cameos from other Native Tongues affiliates showing their affection for the dearly departed Phife. A Tribe Called Quest initially announced the album in 2017 but given the extra time they spent on perfecting it in the years since, it’s sure to be a fitting tribute to Phife’s legacy.

Watch Phife’s animated “Nutshell Pt 2” lyric video above.