Entertainment and MediaVideo game music heads needed (to identify a sample in a stupid rap song)

PTizzle

October 21, 2011, 09:08:18 am
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I won't bore you too much with the story, but me and a bunch of mates recognise this sample and we're almost certain it's from a 16-bit era video game that we can't seem to narrow down.


Anyone who helps is super awesome.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW4Acfqzpz4


Serious business!
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Entertainment and MediaEminem + Pink

PTizzle

June 03, 2010, 07:31:25 pm
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Soooo I thought this would be terrible and Pink is definitely not impressive, but Em tears the shit out of this track. Can see this being the next single.

http://rapradar.com/2010/06/03/new-music-eminem-x-pink-wont-back-down/

Was the track I was the most worried about off Recovery so I'm happy it wasn't terrible.
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General TalkName me any topic and I will rap a verse about it for you

PTizzle

June 01, 2010, 01:11:07 pm
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 :welp:


So, I've got a bit of free time before exams and I've studied as much as I can take the past few days, so I wanted to do something fun. I will literally write a verse about anything, record it and post it up for you. I can't guarantee it'll be on an original beat or whatever (that shit costs moneys) but I'll do my best in the time I have. Some things I'd like to do would be things like doing a theme song for your RM2K3 game (no srsly that'd be pretty funny) and I don't know what else, but I'm offering my services - practice for me and hopefully funnies for you.

If you guys can think of some good ideas then that'd be awesome, I'm mainly looking for funny and to prank/fool people or just really to entertain. If it's a really shit suggestion I probably won't do it but I love y'all so if you're keen give me a try OKAY.

i can also rap in either Australian (natural) American (not so natural, doesn't sound great) or British (not so natural) if you REALLY want

 :fogetlaugh: :fogetlaugh:
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Entertainment and MediaGuest Spots

PTizzle

April 13, 2009, 01:05:39 am
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I'm aware this is, nowadays, essentially an r&b phenomenon, but what do you guys think of guest spots in general?

I'm sure it's been utilized both in both good and bad ways in rock music, but I'm not really qualified to speak about that (I'm interested in hearing about it though).

I'm of the opinion that it's totally fine if it actually contributes to the track. There's currently a trend in Australian hip hop/r&b to recruit a big overseas rapper to phone-in a shitty verse to get people to listen to it. I spose it works to a point, but it's starting to shit me a bit.

Take this song for instance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4uhIpopYDg

This chick was on the Australian version of Idol, but she finished pretty low (nowhere near where people usually need to finish to have to obligatory one-hit wonder status) and she's doing some decent R&B. I think this is a solid pop song, but Flo-Rida's verse shits me to tears. It's completely awful and the only reason he's in the clip was because he happened to be in Melbourne when they were shooting it. They would have had to pay him a mint and he contributes nothing, and there's an absolute arsenal of Australian rappers who could have done the job heaps better without costing a cent.

Someone like Ludacris for example is great, because for every track he switches up his flow and makes the verse memorable. In Jamie Foxx's Unpredictable he fits the subject matter, has a catchy as hell (and impressive flow) and generally contributes to the song meaningfully and this isn't an isolated incident, there's a big list of stuff that he's featured well on.

T-Pain is getting a little old, but he generally does an alright job. Akon tends to phone in the same guest hooks with slightly different lyrics. Hooks have always been a big part of hip hop so it's not a problem, but if you do it like this for example, it's a serious issue because it completely messes up the song. That hook is awful and totally unnecessary. He's just there to add a bit of 'wow, Kanye!'.

Lil Wayne is a weird one to debate about, because he's had some of the worst and some of the best guest spots around.

All in all, I guess this is a discussion of more poppy music so if you don't listen to popular music then it probably doesn't apply as much. I like artists collaborating but I'm starting to get sick of the same people popping up everywhere and people getting guest spots just to appeal to a larger audience when that money could be better spent.

Anyways, I'd love to hear opinions and thoughts, especially from more 'underground' music (underground rappers tend to feature actual talent, but Jedi Mind Tricks always have one big guest spot as an example) and non hiphop/r&b since I don't know if there's similar problems in those genres.
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Entertainment and Mediahip hop with good drums

PTizzle

March 02, 2009, 10:21:12 am
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Hey guys,

I've got into a band recently and the drummer loves hip hop but hasn't heard a lot of it (he was raised on metal). I'm making him a mix with hip hop/rap/r&b tracks with great drums and any suggestions are welcome!

Any rock/hip hop songs that are actually half decent are totally welcome as well. Even stuff like RatM since I haven't heard them in ages.

Tracks with drums that he could study and try to replay are better, but electronic stuff is good as well. A mix of both would be best. Different tempos and tracks with singers (or even samples for the hook) would be really useful as well.
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Entertainment and Media[TOTW] Hip Hop from Down Under

PTizzle

August 12, 2008, 06:57:54 am
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In a semi-departure from the more recent TOTW's, I'm going to be doing a fairly straight up genre outline of hip hop music from Australia. No doubt you're aware (or could have assumed) that hip hop is indeed made in my fair country, but what you're probably not aware of is that it's actually quite good and unique, representing a nice slant on the traditional formula. So, without further ado...

HIP HOP - AUSTRALIA

So when did you cobbers and farmers pick up mics?

Hip hop has existed down here for quite a long time. We're talking roughly 20 years (the first real release being a single from Just Us in '88). In New Zealand (our neighbour, for comparitive reasons) it found commercial respect and success quite early on, but in Australia it was mostly underground until the release of the Hilltop Hoods album 'The Calling' in 2003 (which I'll discuss later on).

Why would I listen to hip hop from down there when I've got Soulja Boi and Plies?

Good question! I think one of the most endearing qualities from the music down here is the glimpse into local culture that you get from it. Not to mention the Australian accent is very different to hear in hip hop music and really offers a whole new experience as far as the genre goes. The base or staple characteristics don't tend to stray too much from American music, but the 'underground sound' of American non-billboard hip hop music tends to be more the norm in Australia. You'll find very few artists down here trying to make anything that resembles a snap song - basically all the artists are solid lyricists with good music behind them.

Another shrimp on the barbie. Who should I listen to if I'm interested?

Do read on!


Hilltop Hoods

Definitely the most popular Australian hip hop act to ever exist, the Hilltop Hoods defied all critics and naysayers of the genre with the release of their 2003 album 'The Calling'. The album was fantastic, which was good, but the most important thing it did was to go gold and receive huge radio play. Without a video or a released single they had a track being played on mainstream radio across the country (The Nosebleed Section), which at the time was a feat that hadn't been accomplished by a hip hop artist originating from the country. As a result of all this their next album 'The Hard Road' debuted at number 1 and went gold in a week (it's now platinum), as well as releasing multiple charting singles cementing them as the 'big boys' of the Australian hip hop scene.



The quality of their music has always been high also. Since 1991 when the group formed at their high school they've been putting out high quality product for the (tiny at the time) dedicated Australian hip hop contingent. If you're looking for albums I'd say the best one to go for would be The Calling - it has their best tracks overall on it. From Dumb Enough with it's chunky horns and singalong chorus to The Sentinel, a story track about a fictional bar in Adelaide (and many more). The album really is one of the highlights of 20 years of hip hop in Australia. The Hard Road and Left Foot Right Foot (the predecessor to The Calling) are both great albums as well though and are also highly recommended. The Hilltop Hoods won ARIA (the Aussie equivalent of the grammies) awards for The Hard Road and The Hard Road Restrung.



In 2007, a year after The Hard Road came out, the Hilltop Hoods re-released the CD 'restrung' with the Adelaide symphony orchestra providing the backing. It's seriously awesome if you're into strings and they did a live tour with a string quartet afterwards to celebrate. This was another big step for Australian hip hop, as at the time it was still seen as an insular community rather than a collaborative one. In terms of live performances the Hoods are amazing and if you ever get a chance to see them (as far as I know they're currently touring the UK) then don't hesitate! They really put on a show and the crowd gets incredibly hype.

Another thing of note is all their album covers follow the adventure of a character called 'Apocalypse' and he's the figure you see on the two covers above (as well as in some videos below). He's something of a mascot.

Songs to check out: The Hard Road, Soul of the Beat, Recapturing The Vibe (Restrung).



Bliss N Eso

Bliss N Eso are an act that, a couple of albums ago, were abstract and generally stepped around by the hip hop listening public. With the release of their album 'Day of the Dog' it seemed like the country simultaneously woke up to their talent and they became fairly huge off the strength of their live shows and happy go lucky party songs.



Personally, I liked the more abstract style they used originally as it suited them more, but I'm fairly sure I'm in the minority as far as that goes. They're extremely accessible and infectious, plus one of the members is American so it's much easier to adjust to the accents. This might have someting to do with their popularity, as even in our own country people can have issues with hearing music done in the natural accent (although more recently it seems to be more of a positive than anything as far as sales go).



Bliss n Eso were fairly underground to being with until they signed to Obese Records (who, at the time, also had the Hilltop Hoods) and put out their first major album 'Flowers in the Pavement'. The whole album was a bit of a mindfuck and you can tell most of the songs are off the CD from their names alone (Vagina Ice, Watchdog Water Dragons, Headless Princess), but it was pretty awesome regardless and increased public awareness. A couple of years later they released the much more traditional 'Day of the Dog' which made them huge on the tour and festival circuits with its party bangers and summer anthems. Earlier this year they released their third album 'Flying Colours' which was again another new direction, but it wasn't that well received. I wasn't a big fan. Still, it sold well and had a couple of great songs which let them keep their heads up.

I'd recommend going for whatever sounds more interesting to you. Day of the Dog is much easier to get into, but I find Flowers in the Pavement infinitely more rewarding. I'll list songs from all three albums below.

Songs to check out: Watchdog Water Dragons, Bullet and a Target (made for charity, full story in link), Then Til Now, Party At My Place



The Herd

The Herd is a hip hop collective from Sydney and one of the biggest, most consistent and exciting groups we have. Many members of The Herd have a lot of solo work so it was hard to choose what to put up so I'll just throw a few references in at the end which you can follow up if you'd like.

The collective is more like a hip hop band in the vein of The Roots rather than a straight up hip hop posse or whatever. They consist of Urthboy (MC), Ozi Batla (MC), Unkle Ho (beats), Sulo (beats and guitar), Tracksewt (accordion, clarinet, beats), Toe-Fu (guitar), Rok Poshtya (bass) and Jane Tyrell (vocals). The names probably mean nothing but hopefully that gives you some sort of idea of their make up.



The Herd are a really politically driven group and many of their songs revolve around this theme. For example, their latest single (appropriately named 'The King is Dead') revolves around our Prime Minister not winning another term in office and thusly being replaced. They have a unique sound and style which is much different from the rest of Australian hip hop - it's a more organic, roots kind of vibe that lends itself well to the lyricism. If you find the other stuff a bit too 'hip hoppy' for you then give The Herd a go (pretty much everyone loves 'I Was Only 19' as it's a remake of a very iconic Australian song from the 70's).

As mentioned before quite a few members have broken off from the core group to do side projects (although they're still part of the group as a whole, think something akin to the Wu Tang clan in terms of the side projects) and most of them have been fantastic. Urthboy has had two solo albums, his latest was probably the best Australian hip hop album of last year. He's very charismatic and unique and I advise anyone who likes The Herd to check his solo stuff out. Ozi Batla broke off a couple of years ago to do an album with two producers in a group called 'Astronomy Class'. It was a rumbling, heavily dub influenced record and was thoroughly enjoyable. Unkle Ho as released two pretty acclaimed solo instrumental albums which I'm a fan of also. On a sidenote, the general standard of instrumental hip hop albums in Australia is very high - check out Plutonic Lab and Hermitude if you're interested.



Songs to check out: 77%, I Was Only 19, The King Is Dead



Funkoars

AY FUCK YOU! The Funkoars are one of the least versatile groups in Australia, but they do what they do so well that it's pretty hard to dislike them. Their raps consist mainly of tales involving cheap women, cheap drinks and cheaper gigs (with rowdy crowds, making passes at said cheap women and ingesting said cheap drinks) but somehow it doesn't get old and it works. This might be thanks to the incredible production by Trials (he's half aboriginal and probably the most respected/well known aboriginal hip hop artist in the country) who also provides the vocals along with Sesta and Honz (with their resident DJ Reflux providing the cuts).

There's not a lot to say about them barring that, but I'll give it a go. They're unbelievable live (last time I saw them Trials was chugging double blacks in a two fisted John Woo style in between verses) and they have this incredible energy that I haven't found with any other group in the country. If you've ever been bar hopping or pub crawling in Australia then the lyrics will ring very true. They're also a funny bunch of guys which is another thing that's difficult to pull off while still trying to be a straight musician.



Their first album was a shaky, dirty effort that, while enjoyable, didn't really set anyone alight. When they matured a bit, had some actual time set aside and went for professional recording/mastering the result was completely different. Since then they've released a DVD, featured on some big Australian hip hop albums and shifted labels to join the Hilltop Hoods in their new venture. Their new album is called 'Hangover' so I doubt there's going to be a change of pace for them anytime soon, which is good news for anyone in need of some drinking music.

Songs to check out: Certified, And Now For Something Completely Different, What I Want, DuNaNa



Muph & Plutonic



On the opposite end of the spectrum to the Funkoars, we have Muph & Plutonic. Although Muph loves a drink as well his raps are soft spoken, introspective, thoughtful and filled with commentary on life and love. Plutonic Lab is a renowned producer who's released two solo albums of his own instrumental hip hop and has been producing for artists in the country for years. Both artists were fairly successful before coming together but I'm sure that anyone who's heard them is glad they did.

While their albums have steadily got a little worse each time (my opinion - Rapreviews.com gave their latest an 8.5) they're still consistently packed with top stuff the whole way through and are definitely a package worth listening to at least once. Plutonic can switch up the backing from ambient and brooding to rough and grainy in a second and Muph can always keep up. This definitely isn't the kind of stuff you'd listen to at a party for the most part, but it's definitely something you won't experience from a lot of other artists. It's great to vibe to.



If you're the kind of person who likes a lot of the more 'out there' choices in hip hop (or music in general) I think it'll be easy to find a spot for Muph & Plutonic in your collection. Their best album is undoubtedly Hunger Pains, but the other two choices (Silence the Sirens and And Then Tomorrow Came) are definitely worthy as well. They also debuted on the mainstream charts with their latest which is always good as well!

Songs to check out: Heaps Good, Size of the Soul, The Day Off

Note: The songs I really wanted you guys to hear weren't on Youtube so keep in mind that this stuff isn't very deep or atmospheric like their best tracks!



Other Artists - Click the names to hear a song

Pegz - CEO of Obese Records (the biggest Australian hip hop only label) and long time emcee Pegz has a unique voice and some incredible production to back him up.

Vents - He's been described as 'riot music'. Loud, in your face tracks with political undertones. Definitely recommended.

Delta - Battle emcee turned album maker. He did his debut LP entirely over beats from UK producer Mark B. Really interesting style and generally enjoyable music.

1200 Techniques - One of the earlier success stories in Australian hip hop. They've now gone their seperate ways but some of their stuff still stands up.

Bias B - A big figure in 'graffiti rap', Bias seems to live for his train line (and painting wherever he can on it). I used to listen to him a lot when I was younger and his first album (Beezwax) is fantastic.

The Tongue - One of the few artists who might actually be known by some people in America. He's got an incredibly bright future. Awesome voice, great lyrics, great beats. His debut album was absolutely killer.

Weapon X and Ken Hell - Pretty much universally disliked down here, but they are popular with the younger/less hip hoppy crowd and they don't use their natural accents which might be interesting to hear. They have some good songs.

Drapht - Very unique voice and pretty great albums. Some of his songs are awful but when he gets it right he can be pretty amazing.

Brad Strut - One of Australia's 'raw' artists (of which there are many). Very urban and gritty. He's an ugly dude but he can definitely rap.


Probably missing a few important ones, but I'll add any that come to mind. I also make this type of music as you probably know and my link is in my signature.



So there you have it! Hope you guys learned something and found the tracks interesting. You can buy most of these albums off Amazon or www.checkoutwax.com if you're interested, and if you need any help with anything to do with this then don't hesitate to drop a reply. Word life vegemite.


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Technology and ProgrammingCreating/Using A Mailing List

PTizzle

July 15, 2008, 11:58:02 pm
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Hey all,

My workplace is currently setting up a monthly newsletter and I'm basically in charge of working it out. I have little to no knowledge on databases and so on.

It's basically just an HTML newsletter that will be sent out monthly - there's about 110-120 names on the list so far. I need to send this email out monthly to the whole mailing list.

I'd just like a general run through - maybe a tutorial or two. Any and all programs I need would be greatly appreciated also.

Thanks!
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Entertainment and MediaThe Incredible Hulk

PTizzle

June 13, 2008, 03:59:22 am
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So, the new Hulk movie. It's a 'Marvel reboot' of the franchise, ignoring the previous film and going its own way. It stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth and William Hurt. The director is Louis Leterrier who did the Transporter films and Unleashed (with Jet Li).

Quote from: IMDB Plot Synopsis
Depicting the events after the Gamma Bomb. 'The Incredible Hulk' tells the story of Dr Bruce Banner, who seeks a cure to his unique condition, which causes him to turn into a giant green monster under emotional stress. Whilst on the run from military which seeks his capture, Banner comes close to a cure. But all is lost when a new creature emerges; The Abomination.

I saw this last night (Australia got it a day early) and although I'm not a big comic book fan, this movie was actually pretty damn good. It's not incredibly deep but balances the emotion it has with the action well, Ed Norton is great and the CGI is fantastic (not totally seamless, but definitely not distracting and it's visually very spectacular). The pacing is great - the action isn't too drawn out and the dialogue is well placed and keeps the film moving forward rather than being pointless exposition.

All round I think fans will be pretty pleased, criticism has been leveled at the CGI Hulk but it really suits the film and once you've seen it you'll understand why it works. The movie isn't gonna change lives or anything like that, but it is a very good popcorn film and will definitely entertain.

So yeah, thoughts? Gonna see it?
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Technology and ProgrammingFTP Programs (Need help for a job!)

PTizzle

April 14, 2008, 09:51:16 am
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I got a casual job updating a company website, but unfortunately it's been ages since I've done anything like this and I need to know of a program that'll help me access it (it can't be done through the browser).

The previous guy used Adobe Fetch which I've never heard of/used, but if anyone knows of something easy to get (I'm willing to pay for a program) that is similar and will let me access the FTP to update it that'd be much appreciated.
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Entertainment and MediaYour top 5 albums of 2007

PTizzle

February 26, 2008, 10:10:26 am
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If this has been done somewhere else already, I apologize.

Please reply with your top 5's, I'm interested to hear some stuff I missed out on:

5. CunninLynguists - Dirty Acres

The fourth album from Atlanta hip hop group CunninLynguists is once again very, very impressive (despite their name turning most people off, no pun intended). The range on the album is stunning - from more traditional rap tracks like 'Dirty Acres' to the ambient soundscape of 'Yellow Lines', to the quasi-psychotic string driven 'Things I Dream' to the hopeful pads and guitars of the brilliant outro 'Mexico' with band Club Dub, the album remains strong throughout. If I had to point out flaws it'd be that they haven't evolved from their earlier efforts - merely refined the formula.

Mexico ft Club Dub - http://www.zshare.net/audio/810532740d9755/

4. Elliot Smith - New Moon

A collection of unreleased songs usually isn't something to get excited about, but when we're talking about Elliot Smith the collection is very endearing. The opener 'Angel In The Snow' sets the tone for the album - bittersweet acoustic ballads with Smith's wiry, thin voice gliding over the top of them. Other highlights on this two disc, twenty-four song collection include the harmonized story track 'Going Nowhere', the foreboding 'New Disaster', the poppy and upbeat 'Almost Over' and an early (and personally preferred) version of his seminal 'Miss Misery'. If you're an acoustic or Smith fan you can't go wrong picking this up.

Miss Misery (Early Version) - http://www.gamingw.net/pubaccess/54767/111-elliott_smith-miss_misery_%28early_version%29.mp3/

3. Lupe Fiasco - The Cool

Wow. From his shaky debut 'Food and Liquor' Lupe showed quite a bit of promise, but I thought it'd take him quite a bit longer to mature into a truly worthwhile artist. But here he is with his second album - one that shocked me on first listen to it's lyrical quality and production. The whole album plays out as a semi-parody of hip hop music in general (implied by the name 'The Cool') and this is explored in songs like 'The Coolest', 'Dumb It Down' and the albums lead single 'Superstar'. There's a lot to like about this album bar the general theme though - not one of the 18 songs (not including the intro) are worth skipping. 'Go Go Gadget Flow' has a clever lyrical style and shows Lupe with an unusually agile flow, 'Hello/Goodbye' is an intense rock/rap collaboration with British band UNKLE and features vocals taking a backdrop to the pounding drums and rolling strings. Then there's the love song 'Paris, Tokyo' which is almost rare in hip hop nowadays. I could go on, but I'll say that if you heard 'Kick, Push' on the Hottest 100 and were at all interested then you'll thank yourself for giving this one a listen.

Hello/Goodbye (Uncool) ft UNKLE - http://www.zshare.net/download/810577113e9db8/

2. Wedge - Heavensville

It hurts not to put this as number one, it really does. The debut album from Indiana native Wedge, noted as an 'artist to watch' in Rolling Stone has burst out with an incredible debut that'll no doubt sadly go overlooked by the general populace, but deserves as many accolades as possible. It's not a long debut, but it definitely recognises the value of quality over quantity - every song on here is a winner. The entirely instrumental intro 'Systems' follows into 'Jupiter', which is where the album really kicks off. It shifts rapidly from flawless electronic pop to ambient instrumentals to haunting electro/acoustic ballads without at all jarring or alienating the listener. Every song paints a soundscape and image which you'll follow til it's completion - there really aren't many albums around with as much atmosphere or cohesiveness in a project as this one. I could list every song and their qualities, but instead I'll just talk about the incredible 'Architect' which embodies everything I feel about the album. It starts with a dark acoustic melody layered with haunting vocals which flow like another instrument into the song, winding upwards with introductions of strings, electric guitar and backing vocals til a climax shortly before the end of it's 8 minute running time. It's haunting, uplifting, mysterious and genius all at the same time. Combining songs like these with an Imogen Heap-esque bedroom music aesthetic (which I find makes it even more endearing - knowing only one person is behind every second of music) and you have an amazing overall project. The only bad part is it's length (not because it doesn't feel like enough, but because you crave more upon it's completion) and the fact it'll be a sleeper hit rather than gaining success levels of his contempories, which he could easily go toe to toe with.

The Architect - http://www.zshare.net/download/81061614586f65/

1. Kanye West - Graduation

Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. An arrogant bastard, a rapper with questionable rhyming skills and the 'go to' man for the black man's Seth Cohen clothing style, yet somehow still also an artist that for the third time in a row has created a record that is so enjoyable it defies it's genre and begs everyone to hearing it. Perhaps it's the incredible production and structure, or the content painted both by words and the music. I don't know what it is, but Kanye's third album is possibly his best yet. Kanye has gone from the shaky Chicago rapper who rushed his flow on 'Jesus Walks' to an accomplished song maker and project manager. He eschews the album problems prevelant in the genre and instead makes pieces of music that flow together so well you'll find yourself listening to the whole album more times than single songs. From the echoing kick/snare pattern of 'Good Morning' to the last synth of 'Big Brother' the album constantly impresses and demands to be listened to. Even when he's being arrogant he's endearing him - you feel less like he's bragging about non-existent skills and more just using the energy to fuel memorable and plain enjoyable music. The singles 'Good Life' and 'Stronger' are catchy but focused at the same time - I can't listen to 'Good Life' without smiling, or 'Stronger' with at least humming the Daft Punk sample (I enjoy the original DP song, very much, but Kanye used it in a way, with such a combination of backing music that it became so much more). From the lazy, off kilter but oddly relevant 'Drunk and Hot Girls' to the inspiring and clever ode to his city 'Homecoming' with Coldplay's Chris Martin, to songs like 'Everything I Am' - relaxed and laid back with scratches by DJ Premier, or the heavy, introspective 'Flashing Lights' the album has to be considered a modern hip hop classic. With the way the genre is going Kanye is one of it's few guiding lights, and with albums like this he proves that he really can back up all the claims, even if he'll still bumrush the Grammy's every now and then.

Homecoming ft Chris Martin - http://www.zshare.net/audio/8106177edaab8b/


Honourable Mentions:

Atmosphere - Strictly Leakage: A free download album that somehow beats out most other rap albums to come out last year. Go figure.
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver: If the Rogue Traders weren't terrible and had the heart to make inspired and inventive music this is what it'd sound like.
Urthboy - The Signal: The best Australian hip-hop album of last year, for my money. 'Nuthin I'd Rather Do' is destined for at least a few barbeques.
Vents - Hard To Kill: The second best Australian hip-hop album of last year. Imagine if an outspoken rebel made an album during a civil uprising and you've got the general idea.
Wiley - Playtime Is Over: I didn't get to hear much UK hip-hop last year, but this was thoroughly enjoyable. Songs like 'My Mistakes' are miles ahead of most American stuff.
Jay-Z - American Gangster: A worthy throw back to the mid-90's golden age.
Timbaland - Shock Value: Finally, Timbo reaches his potential. Great pop music.
UGK - Underground Kingz: Another solid album which doesn't over-reach on it's double disc length, and sadly their last due to the death of Pimp C.
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Technology and ProgrammingHelp with choosing new 3d card...(Plus a couple of other questions)

PTizzle

January 22, 2008, 03:40:00 pm
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  • Group: Premium Member
  • Joined: Nov 15, 2006
  • Posts: 1125
Hey all,

Was just hoping for some help choosing a new 3d card. My budget is $250 AUD ($220 US) to $300 AUD ($260 US).

My basic specs are as follows, if you need more details do ask:

Intel Core 2 CPU 2.4ghz
2 gigs of ram
2 x 250gig Hard Drives (forget the brand)


And my card (which came with the computer, and doesn't hold up most of the time):

NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS (512mb)

I'm assuming I can replace it (it might be a built in, but I can figure something out) fairly easily, so that's alright, just needing suggestions on a good card for around that price range.


Also looking for a new, high speed HD for important files that I access a lot - more space the better, obviously. I dunno about budget, but cheaper is good (just toss up a few suggestions).

One of my hard drives is corrupted as hell also - I can't get my computer to recognise it properly most of the time, let alone format it. How would I go about formatting it in this position?

And is there anything my PC is missing for high end gaming? I haven't been in the hardware game for ages, so I'm probably behind.

If I need to order them online (as I'm in Australia) then that's no sweat, just point me in the general direction.
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