More studio footage from Dame’s Blakroc musical adventure as The Keys are joined by Mos Def. Read the rest of this entry »

You’d think it’d be a nice surprise when one of your favorite comedians dabbles into your favorite form of music, but in the case of Mike Epps’ latest spit spin-off “Ain’t Chu You”…um, not so much. I went in with high hopes, got a solid chuckle out of the first 30 seconds, then ended up being let down – not only by a monotonous Polo Dro – but also how quickly Mike Epps turned the goofy topic serious. Read the rest of this entry »

Decatur Dan once again with another dope clip. This time, he catches up with Don Cannon & $pitta to get an update on the Smokey Robinson mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

The genius behind some of your favorite instrumentation from artists like U-N-I, Termanology and Talib Kweli is all about making big splashes behind-the-scenes these days. Lee Bannon’s the name. Check Point’s the game. Read the rest of this entry »

Bobby Ray stopped by the Chi last week and did two shows: one at the House of Blues and another at Columbia College. He tore the house down both nights, commading the stage with each show. I was able to attend both and speak to Mr. Ray about myriad of topics including some details on his album, his thoughts on the recent Goodie Mob reunion performance, his mishaps with Atlantic and a super-secret song featuring Coldplay and T.I. Read the rest of this entry »

Rebel-rock-soul-funky-riddims. The Roots always have fantastic first singles. Read the rest of this entry »

As promised, here’s the official Walk Softly & Carry A Big Brick mixtape from ATL’s Señor Kaos. The mixtape features Bun B, Wale, 4-Ize, Punchline, Jaspects, Stacy Epps, 4th Pyramid, John Robinson, Stahhr, Homeboy Sandman and many more. The project also includes production from Large Professor, DJ Spinna, 9th Wonder, Von Pea, Jake One, 2 Hungry Bros. and others. Hit the jump to peep the tracklist and download the tape. Read the rest of this entry »

…listening to Fat Joe is dangerous. As you can see, Young Buck experienced the effects as well. Shawty wanna ride? I think not. Read the rest of this entry »

As explicit as the brandish on the sobriquet reads, Ludacris’ Disturbing The Peace label isn’t making much noise these days. Undeterred, Tity Boi & Dolla Boy, collectively known as Playaz Circle, stay playing their position well enough to see gameday action. Gearing up for their 2nd trip to the big leagues, Flight 360: The Takeoff is a polished approach to the world of trunk rattlers and “stackin’ cheese.” Read the rest of this entry »

For his entry in DJ Booth’s freestyle series, the talented Mr. Gibbs goes in over Rassy’s “Understandable Smooth.” Read the rest of this entry »

This summer I was opening up about the hankering I’d had for some new material from the essential non-rap music group in my mind, Chromeo. It’s been two long years since their last studio release, the whimsical whirlwind that was Fancy Footwork, and all I’ve heard from these two Canadian purveyors of electroboogie is one dope Eagles’ cover and a few random-yet-generous placements during commercials for The Hills on MTV. Read the rest of this entry »

Killa! King Jaffe & his underling Vado drop a video for the track “La Bamba,” off his Boss of All Bosses Gangsta Grillz. Read the rest of this entry »

Mai Jini Kim Gives Me Fever Like I’ve Never Known

3 Reasons Netflix Is Coming to Apple’s iPhone [The Motley Fool]

15 Scary Incentives to Drive Safely [Trend Hunter]

The Worst Nicknames In MMA [The Caged Doctors]

Twins : Double the Fun [Gunaxin]

What You Need to Know About the H1N1 Vaccine [Time]

Top SNL Characters From The 90′s [Ice Ice Babies]

When Did Hip Hop Turn Into Marvel Team Up? [Poisonous Paragraphs]

From Wifeys to Wives, From “Wildflower” to “Stapleton Sex” [No Trivia]

Things I Would Say If I Ever Encountered DeShawn Stevenson [The Blowtorch]

Disney To Put An End To Those Pesky Paper Books By Putting Them Online [Tech Crunch]

Can Ebony Magazine Save Itself Like Vibe Did? [Dr. Jay's]

I Kissed a Teenage Lesbian (and I Liked It) [Men.Style]

Apple’s Tablet Is A Big iPhone [SVI]

Friends In My Head [Clutch]

“…Won’t sell ‘em no dream, but the inspiration is free.” — Kanye West Read the rest of this entry »

Despite my reluctance to like Kels as of late, I’ve silently dug, “Number 1,” his joint with Ker Bear. Now, though, he’s made Beyonce’s best friend his number two chick, bumped up Keisha Cole and has T-Payin’ The Bills on the official remix, so…I’ll enjoy it even more. Especially when Major Pain cleverly keeps up with the Billboard theme and drops jewels like, “...I’ma put my BMI all over your ASCAP.” Read the rest of this entry »