Dear new rapper,

Naming yourself after a common noun makes you virtually worthless in a search engine or introductory convo. At least use bad spelling to drive home the stereotype that you are rapper and make your moniker stand out like lint on blacklights.

That being said, we wouldn’t even be here if Anthem wasn’t a studious disciple on the microphone. Read the rest of this entry »

Musical careers bloom and blossom, wither and falter, completing the full circle. For the great artists though, the nice, budding parts can still take place well after a sustainable catalog is obtained. Therein stands Talib Kweli. Around the world and back again, with numerous projects, singles and guest appearances to cement his legacy, yet he’s still in the middle of sculpting the landscape. Read the rest of this entry »

Honestly, I figured Vado’s name was etched in stone for XXL’s Freshmen ’11 list but apparently not as Cam’ron shares the news in his very recent Shade 45 interview. Matching talents, promise and buzz, it’s hard to imagine too many other guys more deserving. Yet, Cam and XXL‘s editors not being able to come to an agreement on how V should be presented showcases just shows the underside of industry politics that makes the coveted list a crock of shxt anyways.

Dah well. U.N. and Young Money together on the track.

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Vado Feat. Cory Gunz – “Night Rider”

First things first, much respect to Lloyd Banks for continuing to push Hunger For More 2 even with what I am sure are disappointing sales. I’m almost positive it was Amp I was talking to when the album first dropped and we both were in agreement that his Jeremih assisted cut “I Don’t Deserve You” needed to be a single. Read the rest of this entry »

Across the pond, Rifts release in men’s sizes pretty often. Stateside? Not so much, as any pursuant of the cult classics can affirm. However, Miami’s Shoe Gallery has the above pictured black-neo lime colorway available for a cool ticket compared to the price hike associated with buying Rifts from international sellers. Read the rest of this entry »

A trip to Dallas and immortality on the line, four cold weather franchises known for hard hitting defenses took to the field in frigid mid-January temps. The result—ugly if intense football and a matchup between franchises known for dynasties past come two weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Dave’s Quality Meats chopped 20% off all DQM apparel and accessories both in store and at dqmnewyork.com/shop. Their sale starts today and goes through Sunday (1.30). Read the rest of this entry »

The son of Slauson mic checks Em’s Recovery album opener. After a quiet spell, it’s good to hear Nipsey back tackling tracks on a regular basis Read the rest of this entry »

“It’s Gucci, two times.”

Resistance is futile. Gucci goes in and adds another playlist-worthy track, Read the rest of this entry »

Alicia Placencia

Antoine Dodson Shooting His Own Reality Show [Vibe]

Nicki Minaj Signs Boobs In London [The Urban Daily]

How Will Google Survive Without Their Adult Supervision? [Uproxx]

Obama’s New $1 Billion Drug Center [Daily Beast]

Halle Berry’s Ex-Husband to Wed Prince’s Ex-Wife [PopEater] Read the rest of this entry »

Kanye took to Twitter to announce he’s releasing another new long-player this summer. This comes approximately two months after the release of MBDTF and upcoming release of his joint album with Jay, Watch The Throne, which ‘Ye says arrives in March. Oh yeah, the Hype Williams-directed video for “All Of The Lights” will be dropping next week.

Any questions?

Seen: Respect

After the preliminary clip, TDK releases the full “Life On Record” segment with Nasir. Click and listen as God’s Son speaks on growing up in QB, his range of musical influences – Tribe Called Quest, MC Shan, Kurtis Blow & Queen – and the impact cassettes and mixtapes had on his early learning. Read the rest of this entry »

From the very beginning, “Uh Oh” sounds like the soundtrack to a horror film. Not the cheesy, faux-scary feel that usually draws a comparison like that, but the kind of atmosphere that makes Dracula’s castle or Camp Crystal Lake leap to mind. The stomping drums, fluttering synth and chanted chorus exude a sense of menace, and the gothic organ stabs bring the crashing lightning and pouring rain to complete the scene. Read the rest of this entry »

Another Saturday night’s worth of work and highlights for Blake Griffin and he found a way to get his teammates in on the action. Eric Bledsoe tossed Blake a near-perfect alley-oop, which the rook reversed. Later on, an errant Eric Gordon shot turned into another dope addition to highlight reel as Griffin cleaned up the miss in typical fashion. Read the rest of this entry »

– Gucci Mane and Lil B are riding the carousel of fame.

– Stans, fans and haters rejoice! Lupe revealed visual proof that Lasers is finally coming out.

– Tyler Perry’s feminine side continued to make a mockery out of fine cinema. Rashad McCants took notes. Read the rest of this entry »