Avg Rating: 
3.0 ( 30 total votes )
Hip-hop always walks a fine line between sampling and copying, and Brooklyn rapper Red Cafe, who we haven’t heard as a primary feature since January’s Hottest in Da Hood, takes it to the next level on his new street single I’m Ill. On the production side producer Boi Wonda heavily uses a Jay-Z vocals as the track’s hook, while also pulling in a sample of Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s old school jam It Takes Two. On the lyrical side of the equation Café delivers some solid but largely uninspired verses, and while guest artist Fabolous brings his usual assortment of clever punchlines – “Still on my Grizzly, no Iverson” - truly knowledgeable hip-hop heads will catch a couple lines Loso lifted from other emcees (can you name them)? Is I’m Ill a dopely sampled tribute, or a bit of a rip-off? As always, I’ll leave it up to the Booth to decide. I’m Ill is tentatively apart of Red Cafe’s upcoming Bad Boy debut, The Shakedown, due out sometime in 2010.
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Member Reviews and Ratings
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 2476 |
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I gotta give it up to Boi Wonda for making a It Takes Two sample sound street, but otherwise I could take or leave this one. Red Cafe's rhymes are solid, but not that memorable for me. Also, that Loso "Live from Beford-Stuveysant, the livest one" is a Biggie line that's also been used by Mos Def (and probably a thousand others). Plus, do you guys think the Loso "Iverson/Grizzlies" line was recorded before or after AI left the Grizz? It really could work either way..
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 11633 |
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How many Jay-Z lines will be sampled when its all said and done? I am going to start the over/under at 57. Let me know if you'd like a part of that action.
Oh, the song? Yeah, I've heard this one before. Rotation.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 434 |
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TRACK IS DECENT ENOUGH,HOOK BECOMES ABIT REPITITIVE THO,THORT MSYBE RED CAFE CUDA CAME HARDER ON THIS SEEING HIS LAST FEATURE WAS AWHILE AGO..FAB DROPS A SOLID VERSE EVEN THO AFEW OF HIS LYRICS WERE BORROWED (BIGGIE) BUT ANYWAY WUDNT LISTEN TO THIS TOO MANY MORE TIMES DECENT THO..
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 687 |
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Jay samples always hit hard. Funny how AZ's samples Wayne saying the same line. Fabo had the best verse on here. His features aren't talked about, but he's all over peoples songs, and he never disappoints.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 195 |
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i hope jay's lines get sampled to the point where he's had enough and then some lol. If stealing lines from biggie was a crime jay would be in jail for life.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 1642 |
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ive head this song multiple times this weekend but did not download. i dont dislike it, its nice just not bangin. rotation.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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Some of the punchlines were good, some were just old/weak
like the kanye line, that was kinda weak i like the Iverson line, and the rental one |
| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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Red Cafe has a cool flow on this production. Sample is used well and Fab comes with some clever lyrics (what's new?).
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 391 |
I do like this song!!! best rapping i hav hurd from cafe!!! but year like Nathen im not going to remember this song apart from Jay Z's contribution!!
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 67 |
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Signature sound for Cafe. I'm a big Boi 1da fan too but the sample iz a little annoying. Rotation...what else
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 639 |
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It's alright....
It get's boring real quick.... Rotation |
| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 319 |
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Street banger. Doesn't quite do it for me though... The hook gets very repetitive and boring by the end of the 1st listen. Not in my personal rotation
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker  Total Ratings: 4267 |
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Decent recycled raps, weak hook and an average beat. Loso had a solid flow but does an average job with rhymes. It's barely in rotation... 2.5
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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Boi-1da is overrated as hell, that's first. Second this beat is wack and annoying, that's 2nd. On some parts the beat reminds me of Obie Trice's "The Set Up".
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 91 |
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Z im going over 57 before its said and done. The song is not bad Red Cafe is better than usual. Fab is bellow his usual so this goes in the rotation.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Crew  Total Ratings: 7959 |
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Not really liking the beat/production on this one. I'm not sold on Red Cafe's flow just yet. Its sub-par on here for me. Fabolous is ok on here, but not enough to save the track.
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| Posted on Dec 14, 2009 |
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Tastemaker |
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chorus is easily the the weak part of the song. way to repetitive and not even original. Red Cafe and Loso sounded decent. Loso is capable of wayyy sicker tho.
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| Posted on Dec 15, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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not good .
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| Posted on Dec 15, 2009 |
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| Posted on Dec 15, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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Nice production but Fabolous saves Red Cafe. But i guess he's the face of Bad Boys Records...as far as hip hop artists are concern
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| Posted on Dec 15, 2009 |
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| Posted on Dec 15, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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I actually quite like this song, its got a catchy production with some good lyrics from both Red Cafe, and Fabolous. I can see how the hook can get annoying but overall, its a 3.5 but round up to a banger.
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| Posted on Dec 16, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 109 |
Fab... Y? This song is bad. I'm Ill is overused. I am sad from listening to horrible copied song. Red Cafe :-(
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| Posted on Dec 19, 2009 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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The verses in this song are so whack its embarassing for me to say i love it. The beat is killa in my opinion. I'm a dancer and i'm about to choreo a hot one to it. the chorus amps me up. you can't go wrong wit a jay-z line. i used to be soooo critical of todays music, but u no what? f it. enjoy wuts out there. sing dance rap n bug out. dont jus sit there n bash other peoples music unless its o.d. weak. i like it n i hope it catches on. i get why people r hating, there r sooooooooo many ridiculously talented unsigned rappers out there n wen verses like crap like this song come out, u hav reason to hate. but the beat n the hook... love it.
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| Posted on Jan 05, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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NYC is loving this!
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| Posted on Feb 01, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 23 |
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This is what hip hop needs to get back to. The beat is insane and the rappers are actually talking about something of substance. Great Song.
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| Posted on Apr 05, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 14 |
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MAN CAN U SAY HOT SONG Loso Went hard as normal man i be bumping this everywhere
its goin be remembered as one of red cafes hottest songs |
| Posted on Apr 06, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 133 |
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FAB! FAB! FAB! He is the saving grace of things song. Props for sampling Jay-Z but that doesn't make it a good song. Fab is crazy with for making references to the 2009 MLB MVP's eyes and all the more reason to love Fab. I keep it in rotation just to hear Fab's verse.
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| Posted on Apr 17, 2010 |
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| Posted on May 01, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member |
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IF MAH NAME WAS WILLIS
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| Posted on Jun 05, 2010 |
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DJ Booth Member  Total Ratings: 61 |
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nobody unless your hoodrich!
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| Posted on Jan 31, 2011 |
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| Posted on Dec 16, 2012 |
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