Well, well, well. After an infinite amount of “remixes” and “freestyles,” the original model is here for the reclaiming of its spot. That’s YC as in Yung Chris, not The Cynic. Backed with another unGoogleable noob in Future, everybody pay homage to the boys with the most coveted spot in the music industry amongst your average non-MC. Read the rest of this entry »

Amber Rose dipped her awesomeness into the clean waters of Barbados. Not nearly as racy as the last time she was seen in a bikini (or lack thereof actually) but always worth a look to satisfy the voyeur in all of us.

125 years. That’s a mighty long time to have a company be renown for excellence and high-class standards. Very few can attest to such longevity and Mercedes-Benz just so happens to be a part of the club. Together with their signature emblem and innovative labeling system for their vehicles, they have been staples in the world where four wheels meet the pavement not only for mobility, but for equal parts style for some time. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re familiar with the concept of WWE’s Tough Enough, you’ll know that it’s generally a pretty boring reality show about people that want to be wrestlers. When the WWE restarted the franchise this year, they attempted to remedy the issue of the show’s monotony by making “Stone Cold” Steve Austin the host. Read the rest of this entry »

Or at the very least…your Internet life. Read the rest of this entry »

I thought something was wrong. Three years ago, Beyoncé’s insanely successful third solo album I Am…Sasha Fierce took over the world empowering women worldwide to force their men to place rings on their fingers (even though she herself was already married!), imagine life as a boy and embrace their abnormally large egos. That’s not even including the world tour by the same name. Read the rest of this entry »

Sports create narrative arcs for stories, pre-defined beginnings and ends. Marbury is defying his. The NBA wrote him off. The media said he was crazy and washed-up. But instead of fading away, Marbury is successfully building a second life for himself over in China, averaging 25.2 points, 5.7 and 1.6 steals per game for the Foshan Dralions of the Chinese Basketball Association. Read the rest of this entry »

50 Cent has promised to release the lead single off his new album by week’s end. Given the abundance of aggressive content in the deluge of songs Mr. 14 for 14 has released in the past few weeks (including guest appearances with Pusha T and Gucci Mane), one wonders what to expect from the single for his first studio album since 2009’s Before I Self Destruct. Given that his most recent release was also his least selling, there’s plenty of pressure for him to stage a comeback, not unlike another Queens-bred emcee.

It’s hard to imagine a time when a Hip-Hop album would be poorly received due to having overly materialistic and commercial content, but that’s exactly the world LL Cool J found himself in 1989 after the release of his third album, Walking With A Panther. While the album sold over a million copies, the glossy production and abundance of love songs caused critics and fans alike to call Mr. Smith’s credibility into question. Unbelievably, at age 21, LL Cool J was in need of a comeback…and fast. LL responded to the taunts from the critics, professional and amateur, with what many consider his greatest album, Mama Said Knock You Out. Fully aware that he had to remind the listeners that he had not lost his edge, he released the granite-hard title track, silencing naysayers and re-establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with in the process.

50 finds himself in a similar position leading up to the release of his fourth album, Black Magic. His previous effort, Before I Self Destruct’s highest charting single was the Ne-Yo assisted, “Have A Baby By Me.” Topping out at #28 on the Billboard charts, it was a minor hit, but didn’t come close to meeting the lofty standards set by his past success. Seeming to sense some of the backlash, and perhaps also sensing the groundswell of support given to his G-Unit cohort Lloyd Banks’ street-oriented singles, our anti-hero rang in the new year by releasing a torrent of freestyles that hearkened back to the time when the Southside Jamaica Queens emcee was known more for ending careers than starring in movies.

Of course, throughout his career, 50 has released free projects like 2008’s Return of the Body Snatchers and 2009’s War Angel LP, that are a bit edgier than his albums, but that same level of aggression hasn’t always shown up in the choice of his singles. So what can we expect? Will he try to maintain the momentum gained from his recent freestyles, or will he try to recapture some of his past success with a single along the lines of “21 Questions” or “Candy Shop?” If we know anything about 50 Cent, we know that he is calculating. Whether he is closing multi-million dollar deals, or gathering information to expose his enemies,

Curtis Jackson plots his moves very carefully. That’s not a bad trait for him to have at this point in his career, because this next single could either give his career a second wind, or leave him on the sidelines gasping as an opponent takes the lead for good.

Photo Via Derick G.

YMCMB is all about the green and green screens when Birdman Daddy Warbucks makes the Forbes list. Baby, T-Wayne and Mack Maine get money. Who knew? For this particular outing, they might as well call themselves the Cash Money Quackbusters because this shit is as cartoonish as it gets. Read the rest of this entry »

While I can’t speak for the hoes per se, Gorilla Zoe’s beats haven’t stopped steady knockin’ since he made a name for himself with “Hood N*gga.” His undervalued pop ear has kept him on the scene since, able to nag the proper video placement on network television and a few dozen radio spins a day. Read the rest of this entry »

Fresh out the cell block to dusting off his writer’s block, the Infamous is back in the house once again to drop gems in the name of Frank Lucas’ alleged mentor. The Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson Story EP is Prodigy’s formal introduction to independence after serving nearly three years in the bing and he’s got the “home team” in his corner for a short and sweet familiarization to the outside. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s only right the “Mic Check” video from Camp Lo and Pete Rock (as 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s) presents stylish and updated visuals alongside throwback imagery from a more pure period of Hip-Hop. Both Pete Rock and Camp Lo are artists with classic ties to a previous era as well as strong catalogues that stretch into the current day. Read the rest of this entry »

Photo: N. Joseph

Much like the Peanuts character Linus’ blanket, woodland camo five panels form part of my comfort zone and have become a staple of my daily uniform for well over half a decade. Looking for me at a show or any event we’re hosting? Search for tall Black guy in the camo cap and bet $5 you’ve found Gotty™. Read the rest of this entry »

Heading into Game 2, gauging the tone for the Miami/Philly series was still unclear. The Heat were obviously the more talented team, but the Sixers were young, vibrant, led by a great head coach in Doug Collins and, in essence, playing with house money. The situation was a perfect recipe for an upset victory and the series heading back to the City of Brotherly Love all knotted at 1-1. Read the rest of this entry »

Jason Williams retired yesterday. I know, slightly above-average point guards don’t typically inspire remembrances. Especially if they’ve already retired once, haven’t been a starter in the NBA for over three years and played for three different teams in their final season. But from the beginning of his career to the end, things were rarely typical when it came to the player known as “White Chocolate.” Read the rest of this entry »