Kendrick is blowing the fuck up and rightfully so. His new video, ADHD just dropped so check it out. Also check out a cool interview with Kendrick on DX and a video of GAME, Snoop, Mos Def, Warren G, The Dogg Pound and more on stage to support Kendrick at one of his recent shows in LA. Dudes are really supporting Kendrick. You gotta love!
Kendrick Lamar Interview with HipHopDX
It’s Friday and it’s been a while since I went back a visited a classic. This morning I woke up and felt like Blackstar was the only thing I wanted to hear so I loaded it in my iPod and tuned out the world on my way to work. I remember the first time I heard this album and it is still one of my favorites to this day. CLASSIC SHIT!!!
Despite being a severely heartbroken when I found out that Swizz Beats was dating and had gotten my future ex-wife, Alicia Keys pregnant, I am still a big fan of her music, in particular, her sophomore album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. She has an amazing voice, writes amazing songs, plays the piano and has a nice hip hop style to her joints. I didn’t love her last two albums like the I love Diary. Almost every song on the album is amazing. When she did unplugged for MTV and played her hits including the song Diary, I melted. Alright, I’m sounding like a schoolboy with a crush. Anyway, some of her songs have been stuck in my head since last night, thanks to my roommate so, enjoy a few songs from her album, The Diary of Alicia Keys.
And a bonus from her Unplugged Performance featuring Mos Def, Common and Damian Marley
One of the groups that has been making it’s way on to my radar lately is The Black Keys. The dropped a project last year with Dame Dash called BlakRoc which featured a handful of rappers. Although I didn’t love the project, I LOVED several songs and the sound of the project. After that project, I got a few of their albums and really enjoyed their sound. They recently dropped a new album titled Brothers, which I was hearing great things about so, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I have been listening to it for the last couple days and I got to say, it’s really dope. I like their sound a lot. Apparently Danger Mouse produced their joint, Tighten Up, which is one of my favorite tracks on the album. It takes me longer to digest an album like this because it’s what I typically listen to but I enjoy Brothers a lot. If you haven’t heard The Black Keys, I suggest doing so now. Nicole Wray is featured on a few songs on the album too. You might remember Nicole Wray from tracks with Missy like All In My Grill, Make It Hot, etc. She was also, all over the BlakRoc album. I guess she’s cool with Dame Dash. Anyway, check out Tighten Up as well as Ain’t Nothing Like You from the BlakRoc album.
After listening to Mos Def’s The Ecstatic a whole bunch last year, I started thinking about his previous albums, The New Danger and True Magic. I remember not really feeling either of them when they dropped but I couldn’t help but think that maybe they took more than a few listens. So, for the last few days, I have been listening to True Magic and I must say that I enjoy it more than I remember. It is still not as ill as Black On Both Sides or The Ecstatic but it has some nice cuts on there. Mos doesn’t quite display his full force, lyrical capabilities but I like the album more than I thought I would. Tracks like Undeniable, U R The One and Murder of a Teenage Life are very dope. Murder of a Teenage Life is apparently produced by The Neptunes(according to Wikipedia). It is a very powerful song and much darker that a lot of Mos’ other work. If you don’t remember liking True Magic back in 06 when it dropped, I suggest checking it out again. I think it might grow on you. In the meantime, check out Murder of a Teenage Life. Stay tuned until tomorrow because I am dropping two new remixes.
A few days ago, I got my hands on a mixtape compiled of some of the highlights from The Roots performances on Jimmy Fallon Late Night. Everyone knows by now that The Roots are the house band for Jimmy Fallon and have performed lives with artists like Raekwon, Goodie Mob, Ludacris, Clipse, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Public Enemy, Ghostface, etc….Some savvy person put together a mixtape of some of these performances. Although this is not an official Roots project, it is still the shit. Some of the sound quality isn’t perfect but it stills sounds really dope. I have been posting several of these live performances in the past and now it is only fair I post the whole mixtape. I have considered trying to post everyone of these videos but that might take too long. If I get a free hour at home, I might just do that but in the meantime, download the mixtape Late Night With The Roots and enjoy some ill, live music from (insert artist name) featuring The Roots. Take notice to Black Though ripping several of these performances.
Download Late Night With The Roots
01 The Roots – How I Got Over (Live)
02 Ludacris – I Do It For Hip Hop / Last Of A Dying Breed (Live)
03 Mos Def – Casa Bey (Live)
04 Beastie Boys – So Whatcha Want (Live)
05 Black Star – History (Live)
06 Snoop Dogg – I Wanna Rock (Live)
07 Ghostface – Baby f. Raheem DeVauaghn (Live)
08 Wale – Pretty Girls (Live)
09 Raekwon – Catalina (Live)
10 50 Cent – Baby By Me / Do You Think About Me (Live)
11 Clipse – Popular Demand f. Black Thought (Live)
12 Clipse – Grindin’ f. Black Thought (Live)
13 Q-Tip – Barely In Love (Live)
14 Goodie Mob – Soul Food (Live)
15 Public Enemy – Bring the Noise (Live)
Shout out to 2dopeboyz for the link. Here are a few of my favorite performances.
Mos Def just dropped a new video for his joint History produced by J Dilla, which features Talib Kweli. This song has an incredible message. “You can’t see where you’re headed until you know where you have been.” Not that any particular year is better than any other to make a change but I believe that a lot of things need to start changing for the better including this rap shit.
RIP J Dilla
I wanted to do something a little different today besides my typical daily soundtrack. A lot of dope videos have dropped in the past week so I wanted to share some of my favorites. A few might catch everyone offguard but I like some radio shit just as much as the next man even though I hate pretty hard at times. Drake even make a couple appearances on my list today. The first video is from Drake and Timbaland for their song Say Something. I love this joint and Drake once again solidifies his spot. It’s hard to hate this man right now but I’m sure I can find something.
The second video is Cannon, whichi is of my favorite joints from Cory Gunz mixtape, Heir to the Throne. Despite Cory looking a little uncomfortable handling guns, the song is really dope and its cool to see a video for it too.
The third video is for Gucci Mane’s song Lemonade. This video kind of makes my eyes hurt with all this bright ass yellow. This song is a little too addictive. It’s good to see Waka Flocka Flame in the video too.
The fourth video is for Mos Def’s joint Supermagic from his album The Ecstatic, which is one of the most slept-on albums of they.
The last two videos I will group together because of they are both from Young Money/Cash Money. Young Money’s Bedrock is slowly becoming one of my favorite songs due to the Lloyd hook and the Nicki Minaj line “time to put this pussy on your sideburns.” Need I say more???? The last video is from Birdman’s album Pricele$$ and features Lil Wayne and Drake. Once again, Drake makes the song. Damn am I becoming a Drake fan??????
Tomorrow I will be sharing my thoughts about Alicia Keys new album, The Element of Freedom.
Not that anyone takes the Grammy Awards seriously any more after Ludacris and Lil Wayne won Grammys but I wanted to share the list of Grammy Nominations that include some of your favorite rappers and singers. It has been a big year for several artists including Drake, Cudi and apparently Mos Def, Q-Tip and Common as well. Here are the categories and nominations. Check
Best Rap Album
Common – Universal Mind Control
Eminem – Relapse
Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Q-Tip – The Renaissance
Best Rap Solo Performance
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Eminem – “Beautiful”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)”
Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
Mos Def – “Casa Bey”
Best Rap Song
Drake – “Best I Ever Had”
Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone”
Jay-Z – “D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-Tune)”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”
Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group
Beastie Boys & Nas – “Too Many Rappers”
Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent – “Crack A Bottle”
Fabolous & Jay-Z – “Money Goes, Honey Stay”
Kid Cudi, Kanye West & Common – “Make Her Say”
Kanye West & Young Jeezy – “Amazing”
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Beyoncé & Kanye West – “Ego”
Keri Hilson, Kanye West & Ne-Yo – “Knock You Down”
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – “Run This Town”
The Lonely Island & T-Pain – “I’m On A Boat”
T.I. & Justin Timberlake – “Dead And Gone”
First let’s take a look at Best Rap Album. Is Flo Rida REALLY nominated? I mean I know he puts out club hits but Best Rap Album????? Hmmmmmmm. And why is Common nominated for his worst album to date????? Oh yea, 2008/2009 were BAD years. Shout out to Eminem, Mos Def and Q-Tips for putting out stellar projects. I wonder if Raekwon missed the deadline? Best Rap Solo Performance features Cudi, Drake, Jay-Z, Eminem AND Mos Def for Casa Bey. I would be surprised if Mos Def was even allowed on the Red Carpet for the Grammys let alone Nominated TWICE. BIG shout outs to Mos Def for a dope album and a stellar year. Mos definitely deserves it. The Best Rap Song category category features no surprises although Forever probably should have been in there judging by the current nominations. Perhaps the biggest surprise comes in the Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group with the Beasite Boys and Nas. Am I the only one who has never even heard of this song????? Also, how the FUCK did Fabolous and Jay-Z’s song get nominated? I saw the video like 3 times and never heard it again. And my vote for Best Rap/Sung Collab goes to Keri Hilson, Neyo and Kanye for Knock You Down only because Keri’s ass in the video. Make sure you tune in January 31st to see who takes how golden record players. I included a bonus of Beastie Boys and Nas’ joint Too Many Rappers.
The internet has been buzzing about a new project between Dame Dash and The Black Keys for a little while now. With the leak of different webisodes showing artists in the studio working on this project and several other leaked tracks, Blakroc is one of the most anticipated projects of the year(at least on the underground level). The “single” Nothin’ Like You(Hoochie Coo) featuring Mos Def and Jim Jones is one of my favorite songs of the year. Mos Def absolutely kills the hook. So I got a copy of the album and listened a little bit this weekend and gave another listen this morning. I’m going to start with the good. The production is really cool and the whole concept of the project is ill. I am going to download The Black Keys discography this weekend and give it a listen. Now for the bad. Most of the tracks sounds thrown together. I’m not sure why Q-Tip, MOP, Nicole Wray and The Black Keys need to be on the same track but for me, it just doesn’t work. The music isn’t bad but it isn’t going to break any ground with the actual music. It is good to see Dame Dash doing some different shit but I think if it would have been a Black Keys/Mos Def album it would have been amazing. Having said that. I really enjoy a few of the tracks. Surprisingly enough, my two favorites feature Jim Jones. I give a golf clap for Jim Jones and Dame Dash. The Raekwon joint is pretty ill too. Check out the tracklist and my new shit, What You Do To Me.
01. Coochie ft. Ludacris & Ol’ Dirty Bastard
02. On The Vista ft. Mos Def
03. Hard Times ft. NOE
04. Dollaz & Sense ft. Pharoahe Monch & RZA
05. Why Can’t I Forget Him ft. Nicole Wray
06. Stay Off The F*%$#n’ Flowers ft. Raekwon
07. Ain’t Nothing Like You ft. Jim Jones & Mos Def
08. Hope You’re Happy ft. Billy Danze (of M.O.P.), Nicole Wray & Q-Tip
09. Tellin’ Me Things ft. RZA
10. What You Do To Me ft. Billy Danze (of M.O.P.), Jim Jones & Nicole Wray
11. Done Did It ft. Nicole Wray & NOE
It’s dope hearing Ol Dirty again too. One other bit of confusion is about this cat NOE. Am I the only one that think he sounds A LOT like Jay-Z. Is Dame Dash trying to groom him another Hov????
