So far as I can see, Takers goes something like this…

Stringer — fresh from illegitimizing his role on “The Wire” by shaving his goatee for “Devil White Woman” — takes a ragtag group of Jedi Knights and Halle Berry castoffs to rob a bank. T.I. — fresh from a stint in the clink, and still trying to redeem himself for being out-shined in ATL by Big Boi, Lauren London and Diana Ross’ son — hires the bandits to do some scofflawry and Belly-esque bafoonery. Old girl from Drumline shows up, kissing up on Ricky and possibly TIP. Matt Dillon is still shell-shocked that his brother is hitting bigger than him with “Entourage,” so he gets up in the mix to save the day, bringing that kid from Hostel with him for no foreseeable reason. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember Public Enemy’s push to drop a fan-funded album? In two short weeks, the band has already raised over $50,000 towards the recording of their new album with SellaBand.  Meaning over 700 fans believed enough in them to put their money where their mouth was and pony up $25.  At this juncture, Chuck, Flav & Co. are 1/5 of the way towards their goal of $250,000 and could reach it by Christmas if they & their loyalists keep up the pace. Read the rest of this entry »

If I hadn’t seen  Mick & Terry’s name on this cover, it’d been easy to dismiss this.  808s has been co-opted more than enough (both good & bad) for my liking, but the Northern Ohio duo are as close as you can get to a sure thing each time they put something out.  In the vein of Viva La Hova & Re-Living Thing, London based Indie Rock group The Noisettes Wild Young Hearts gets remix treatment thanks to an infusion of Kanye’s 808′s & Heartbreak. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ll be rooting for Tha Dogg Pound as long as blood still pumps through my veins and their music pumps through my speakers. Kurupt & Daz have been rapping for nearly two decades now and show no signs of stopping with their latest album That Was Then, This Is Now dropping in November. Read the rest of this entry »

Alexiis Hayes. God Is A Merciful God.

Porn Star Will Play Porn Star On ’30 Rock’ [Warming Glow]

Kanye Faces East: Musicians Who Find God [Getback]

5 Star Wars Questions Which Keep Me Up at Night [CH]

Lexus LF-A Finally Unveiled [Fatlace]

Law Comes Down Hard On Naked Guy [The Awl]

Albert Haynesworth Is Underachieving, According to ESPN’s NFC East Blog [Mr. Irrelevant]

Jeff Fisher Wants To Feel Like A Winner [With Leather]

Malcolm Gladwell: Stats vs. Intangibles [The Big Lead]

The Placebo Effect Is Real [Asylum]

Nickelodeon Buys the Ninja Turtles [Vulture]

Reggie Miller Gets Restraining Order In Love Triangle Case [Radar Online]

Flair Hair [Listen To Leon]

How To Fix The WNBA [Slate]

Hockey WAG Hilary Duff Still Working, Could Use A Jacket [Epic Carnival]

It may not be 100% necessary to create a folder on your hard drive for Andreya Triana’s music just yet. But you’ll definitely want to add the UK soul singer’s name to your mental microfiche as one to watch & listen for moving forward. Read the rest of this entry »

Pyrex pot Sean with his usual cook-up in the pot in the form of hot bars. For “Goodnite!!!” he links with Royce, as he prepares to release what could be his Duck Down swan song. Read the rest of this entry »

During this red carpet video for what looks to be some-sort-of Latino MTV Awards show, a rather dapper Uncle Snoop Dogg addresses his infatuation with my favorite HBO brain-drainer True Blood. So much that the Doggfather even goes on record to ask the producers for a role in the show. Read the rest of this entry »

So, hearing the words “The State Vs. Dwayne Carter” aren’t that odd as Wayne has caught a laundry list of cases the past couple of years. Yet, the Martian is due in court today for DNA testing. Not for paternity, but to establish his connection to a gun case in NY. Read the rest of this entry »

Two years after it came out I still get goosebumps when André starts his verse for this.  And I’m eternally grateful this came out before every Tom, Dick & Harry (||) had the means and gumption to throw a verse on this classic song.  But a few things come to mind listening to this: Read the rest of this entry »

For a minute, it seemed like the conglomerate of Talib Kweli, Res & Graph Nobel picked the perfect pseudonym to market their operation because the buzz seemed to all but fizzle. But with Mick Boogie stepping into the fray, it seems the project will now see the light of day. Read the rest of this entry »

Normally, I’d leave TC to dissect Jayceon tracks because I simply don’t have the patience for the guy. Between now & the early December release of The R.E.D. Album, prepare yourself for incessant namedropping, flip-flopping alongside Fif sneaking in his .02 here & there for sure. Read the rest of this entry »

No matter if you watch the remix (above) or the original version (below)…uhm, yeah, you can go ahead & punch my one way ticket to Hell. These clips are just a test to see who’ll be on the bus with me. Read the rest of this entry »

After listening to her past work and now “4 And 20,” I’m surely convinced that Joss Stone was one of the Sirens in a past life. What she may not possess in chops to raise the octaves, she makes up for with vocals that simmer and steam, warming your ears as she sings. Read the rest of this entry »

My original intentions were to post Diamond District’s Diamond Exchange mixtape a few days ago, around the same time Oddisee’s seasonal instrumental tape got posted. But I got sidetracked and ended up listening for dolo, forsaking you guys. Before time passes me by again, here’s “Hologram,” the first single off their upcoming In The Ruff release. Sporting a woozy beat and lyrics centered around life’s cold hard facts, it’s winter music for those who rock earmuff headphones will trooping the streets.

At a certain point, I’d be wise to smarten up regarding the sounds of this DMV crew, as they’ve been consistently shittin’ on the game for a minute now.

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Download — Diamond District – “Hologram”

Below, a few bonus shots, including the aforementioned mixtape and along with the another album track, “I Mean Business.”

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Download — Diamond District – “I Mean Business”

Download — DJ Buddy & Diamond District – Diamond Exchange Mixtape