Some people say Donda’s son takes things too far. This is not one of those instances.

High-profile producers, take note. Read the rest of this entry »

As much as I’d like to say T-Wayne’s “Hoes & Ladies” grabbed my attention because of the song’s sense of humor, breezy beat or maybe for giving one of the Field Mob dudes something to be thankful for this week, my real reasoning is far less complimentary. Yes, ladies and gentleman, 5-Hour Energy has officially been inducted into rap lexicon. Read the rest of this entry »

It sure does feel like Busta & Swizz spent most of 2010 drunkenly crashing studio sessions together, yelling “where the party at!” as they appeared on several joints together, seemingly for the f*ck of it. Luckily for a Reek Da Villian, they blessed his Hip-Hop chopshop with their presence and effectively got him on your radar. Read the rest of this entry »

Even with a 4.5 Cig-rated album, the biggest buzz of his career and a hot new girlfriend, Kanye West still can’t lay claims to the producer’s throne just yet. That is, according to Quincy Jones. A man who has justified say-so in the matter. In a recent interview with US Magazine, the legendary maestro not only rejected any comparison to Mr. West’s accomplishments to that of his own, he basically copped a squat and shat on Hip-Hop as a whole.

Us: Kanye West is similar to you in that he’s the producer everybody wants to work with in the last decade …

QJ: How man? No way. Did he write for a symphony orchestra? Does he write for a jazz orchestra? Come on, man. He’s just a rapper. There’s no comparison. I’m not putting him down or making a judgement or anything, but we come from two different sides of the planet. I spent 28 years learning my first skill. I don’t rap. It’s not the same thing. A producer has to have some sort of skills that enable him to be a producer. It’s totally different to know what to do with 16 woodwinds you know from piccolos down to bass clarinet. It’s a whole different mindset. No comparison. None.

Of course that incendiary quote made Kanye’s countless studio hours for his recent project look like child’s play, so, Señor Jones took to his site for clarification:

“I’d appreciate it if people didn’t take my comments about Kanye West ( @KanyeWest ) or anyone else for that matter out of context to contrive a story. I have nothing but respect for my little brother Kanye and what he has achieved in his young career and I look forward to watching his evolution as an artist. There is a reason why we put him on the new We Are The World 25 for Haiti – he’s a great rapper. But having been in the music business for more than 60 years and having been fortunate to accomplish what I have over that time, it’s not unreasonable to put a comparison of Kanye at this time in his career and myself into the proper perspective. This is not dissing Kanye, this is simply trying to express that I’m not a rapper! I don’t need to take anyone else’s props away from them. Let’s all just try and keep the record straight.” – Quincy D. Jones – 11/22/2010

Sounds like half-baked backpedaling to me. QJ is the numero uno but he’s also up there in age, so you can guarantee that the filter on his words is thinning like his hair. Oh, why can’t they just let Kanye be great?

Spotted @ Stereogum

Words by C. Paicely

A week after letting out what sounded like “I love the ’90s” fodder with DMX and Busta, Swizzy unleashes another cut, sans ol’ Earl. Thanks to the producer’s hypnotic keyboard melody and Mr. Rhymes’ endless strings of assonance, “Bad One” feels a decade younger than last week’s forgettable folly. Judging by this and their previous one-on-one pairing, “Stop the Party,” this duo could easily conjure up mix-ready club bangers on a daily basis. Read the rest of this entry »

As if Nuggets and, coincidentally, Bulls fans needed more reason to fear Melo’s move to Manhattan, the on-court star continues his push to establish his name off the court with the Become Legendary mixtape. Given away to coincide with the release of latest sig shoe, the Melo M7, the compilation is co-branded by Jordan Brand & Melo’s Krossover Entertainment and packed with features. Read the rest of this entry »

Always down to kiss the sky with a small dosage of dopeness, the Buckeyes you know as Fly Union are supplying you another audio fix with Value Pack 6. Sticking to their core strengths as an unit, the C.O. collective know exactly how to infiltrate your playlist without wearing out their welcome by now. Presented by The Greater Than Club & Eighty81.com, put on your cool and join Fly Dot U as they go in for their 6th ring, Michael Jordan. Read the rest of this entry »

When people associate the terms “music scene” and “West Coast,” California is 99% of the time the first state to come to mind. Hailing from the city where Tupac took his last breath and Tiger Woods lived up to his name – Las Vegas – Sean Rose aims to change this train of thought. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by C. Paicely

Hip-Hop is a vehicle for passion, but sometimes it takes real talk to invigorate that zeal and keep it from turning into complacency. Agacee is one of those hidden gems from a different era, here to restore all the lost facets to the music we love. The Windy City veteran’s demeanor, delivery and message collectively compose the figure of a time long passed. Read the rest of this entry »

In the military, when the top-ranking official of the operation is rendered incapable of doing their job, the next in line steps up and fills the slot without so much of a eye blink. The G-Unit battleship has posed a similar situation in 2010. Although General 50 Cent is still very much in tune with the rap world, he has come to a stage in his career where spitting rhymes isn’t his primal focus. Leave it to Lloyd Banks to all but obliterate his solo hiatus by clearing out car lots with his monster single “Beamer, Benz Or Bentley” and simultaneously renewing the interest in his camp’s brand in the process. Read the rest of this entry »

Because my version of Hip-Hop still packs a pistol for revolutionary purposes, we’re proud to highlight two tremendous tracks by Bambu and Skipp Coon & Mr. Nick. Both songs will be featured on Trackstar’s upcoming mixtape, Pressure, where music and Molotovs will come together in the name of civil disobedience done to a beat. Read the rest of this entry »

Sincere’s back from Africa stealing laptops, robbing armored trucks and committing homicides? Well, on Hawaii 5-0 he is, making an appearance as a bumbling criminal. Nas was a second choice for the role. DMX was the natural and a first pick, but he’s currently unavailable. Read the rest of this entry »

Mac’s “Knock, Knock” gets a video treatment and it’s heavily lacking. There are no real cars & hoes, bottles of champagne or any of the other accessories associated with rap videos. Instead, the young, noble Mr. Miller continues his straightforward approach by doing goofy dance routines alongside other kids, which fits given his mixtape’s title. Read the rest of this entry »

For the past few weeks, I’ve started picking up random issues of sneaker-centered mags, most recently the SLAM Presents Jordan collector’s edition issue. In one of the interviews from circa 2006, MJ stated that the III’s were the model he loved the most from his sig line. He and I share the affinity because the shoe has stood the test of time from the folklore to the design. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s overlook the less than stellar cover and take heart in the idea that FKi has managed to knock out a few catchy tracks – most notably “Weeds & Arizonas” & “Red Cup” – and their cosigns coming out the A are pretty good. Given those two factors, I’ll go out on a sturdy limb and say that Zoolandish is worth a cursory listen at the very least and should have more than a couple of tracks that become playlist-worthy. Read the rest of this entry »