Did anyone else watch the full season of How To Make It In America? I did. I got into watching the show not because I thought the story was all that great, but it reminded me of so many people who were like the characters. Following two friends trying to start up a clothing line while finding any hustle they could to finance their dream? That could the biography of any kid growing up in NYC. I used to hear stories of paint soaked basements with basic screen printing kits and late night brainstorming sessions over some beers, figuring out the next best concept to slap on a cotton tee. Read the rest of this entry »

Since I’ve had the title track in rotation for months now, it’s good to hear that the album is officially on its way and will be hitting stores on June 22nd.

“The legendary Roots crew held a private listening session yesterday evening (May 20th) in New York City’s Legacy Studios for their ninth full-length (11th including EPs) album titled How I Got Over. Among those in attendance were the Roots crew themselves, along with various collaborators on the project (including newcomer Sugar Tongue Slim), as well as Late Night With Jimmy Fallon’s own, Jimmy Fallon. The album, nine songs deep with three interludes and two bonus cuts, is a culmination of almost every Roots project, primarily Phrenology. Read the rest of this entry »

Sleigh Bells is loud. Like M.I.A. on acid loud. Or Beastie Boys with ADHD loud. The electro-pop duo of guitarist, producer and songwriter, Derek Miller and vocalist, Alexis Krauss are making a lot of noise. Literally. Their performances at SXSW and the CMJ music marathon have made them a hot commodity despite the fact they’ve recorded fewer songs than Jay Electronica. Read the rest of this entry »

Uhm…anybody want to let me know how I’m supposed to think/feel after viewing this Boondocks promo for Sunday night’s episode? Ask me about the books or the strip, I can tell you a thing or two about a thing or two. The cartoon is always hard for me to get a grasp on, being torn between laughing & shaking my head. Read the rest of this entry »

Continuing on his post-prison release therapy, Black’s back with another new record for your sound system. Off his upcoming Game Tested & Street Approved mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

Take equal parts AM95 and AM97 to make the upper for this shoe and then add the AM360 sole and you have the AM 24-7 Hybrid. Somehow, they managed to merge the lines of two well known sneakers with leaving the design feeling overdone. And how does Nike insure acceptance & a few sales? By using familiar colorways such as the Neon (coming soon or holler @ eBay) and Chilis (available now @ Concepts and other retailers nationwide) to win over the hearts of purists. Since the 360 sole unit is one of my favorites from the past few years, I’m on board for these wholeheartedly. Read the rest of this entry »

“Baby you rockin’ with g’s, we the Black Kennedys…”

Featuring cameos from Kandi, Toya, Diamond and Princess. See that look on Kandi’s face? It says “trick, we got in the V.I.P. free and we ate @ Ryan’s today. What?” Read the rest of this entry »

Shaq Has A New Becky [Hip-Hop Honey]

Daunte Culpepper Is UFL-Bound [With Leather]

Megan Fox Out Of Transformers, Who Will Wash Michael Bay’s Ferrari? [FilmDrunk]

Video: Nas & Damian Marley “As We Enter” on Jay Leno Live [OKP]

Court Dunn: Simple But Dope [Ruby Hornet]

People Still Care About Yung Berg’s Chain? [Karen Civil] Read the rest of this entry »

“Plus I heard the angel wings is kinda heavy, Scared to put’em on my back so I threw’em on the Chevy…”

At the outset, the odds of Big K.R.I.T. being successful seem slim. Hailing from the Crooked-letter state, there haven’t been many preceding him and there are no coattails for him to use for entry into the limelight. Before SXSW, I’d heard a few of his tracks (specifically “No Wheaties“) and liked them. Still, I wasn’t completely sold on who he was as an artist.

I picked up K.R.I.T. Was Here with little to no expectations and a clean slate, aside from cosigns from Crew members asking that I listen. Without a doubt, this brother sounds unmistakeably like Pimp C. That’s likely to be any new listeners first reaction to hearing K.R.I.T. rap Read the rest of this entry »

Short of Hamlet holding a human skull and pondering the meaning of life, I’ve understood absolutely zippy Danish in my life. Until now. Read the rest of this entry »

WC is the most underrated rapper in Hip-Hop. I will maintain that notion until he has a #1 single or he quits spitting. His rapid fire flow is something that never gets old. The precision he utilizes to navigate through drum patterns has yet to be duplicated and most likely never will be.

With DJ Crazy Toones on the ones & twos and production from Terrace Martin, the Westside Connection vet spazzes out for five minutes straight in the video for “Frontline.” With enough punchlines to leave your head spinning, the promo video is a perfect teaser for his upcoming album The Revenge Of The Barracuda, an album that is still in production without a release date, but should be highly anticipated once people know it’s on its way. Read the rest of this entry »

The new face of Harlem’s hope keeps on shining, fresh with a video for “Large On The Streets.” Directed by FM15 Films. SLIIIMMMEEE! Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone has pride, just like everyone has a breaking point. And at some time, everyone is going to hear all the criticisms placed upon them. To their face and behind their back.

In the world of Hip-Hop, those criticisms are magnified, especially in current times. For artists like Eminem, Jay-Z and OutKast, their legend was stamped long before the Internet rose to power. While it is a gift and a curse, “newer” artists do not necessarily have that luxury. They travel the road to hopeful Hip-Hop hierarchy with the World Wide Web documenting their every step and misstep. Aubrey Drake Graham is a perfect example. Read the rest of this entry »

I think the funniest part may be that they refer to Suge as an “ex-rap mogul.” Oh ye how the mighty have fallen. Aren’t his three strikes up yet?

“Ex-rap music mogul Marion “Suge” Knight has been arrested in Los Angeles for investigation of assault with a deadly weapon.

Police say the co-founder of Death Row Records was stopped by California Highway Patrol officers in suburban Gardena about 12:30 a.m. Thursday. Officer April Harding says someone had called police an hour earlier to report Knight had pointed a gun at him in South Los Angeles. Read the rest of this entry »

Hip-Hop can be like WWE at times but 4-Ize plays neither hero nor heel. Instead he would rather stand on the top turnbuckle with a megaphone and hit you punchlines that hit you like an elbow drop to the head. Joining him and Don Cannon in the squared circle for their latest summer slam are the likes of GLC, De La Soul and suprisingly Señor Kaos. Read the rest of this entry »