I think I’m beginning to turn into one of those hated hip-hop purists. Don’t get me wrong, you’re not about to catch me in an oversized rugby and Girbaud jeans mouthing hip-hop lyrics in a room full of dudes drunk off Mickey’s and loneliness anytime soon, but I’m finding myself less interested in flowery lyrics and overproduced beats every day. Read the rest of this entry »

SI’s Swimsuit Calender does nothing for you? Maybe Estevan Oriol’s “L.A. Women” can entertain you for upcoming year and make the days pass faster. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the homie Kaz, Busta Rhymes is allegedly the newest member of Young Money. And no this isn’t the latest installment to the legendary trending topic #JustSignedWithYoungMoney. It’s supposedly as real as lines on Black Friday. Bussa Bus links up with Chris Brown hoping to rekindle the full blown blaze that “Look At Me Now” provided during the earlier months of 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Khrysti Hill

Tupac’s Acting Career Told Through His Co-Stars and Producers [Vibe]

Fat Joe Talks Losing 100 Pounds, Beating Diabetes [CNN]

Marisa Miller, The NFL’s Hottest Spokesperson [With Leather]

Former Red Sox Clubhouse Manager Molested 12 Black Children [NewsOne] Read the rest of this entry »

While writing about Obie Trice’s “There They Go,” a few different angles came to mind. First, the Slim Shady-produced cut is from Trice’s sophomore effort, Second Round’s On Me, which is an extremely slept-on album that still doesn’t get the due such a well-rounded LP should. Read the rest of this entry »

Kendrick ain’t the only kid from Compton TSS has love for. If you refer to the 12 NBA Young Guns To Watch (If There’s A Season) post, you’ll notice a fundamentally sound yet capable of the flash, sharp-witted point guard by the name of Brandon Jennings holding court in Milwaukee. Read the rest of this entry »

Boston Phoenix:

On June 29, 2011, the last remnant of what was once Columbia House — the mightiest mail-order record club company that ever existed — quietly shuttered for good. Other defunct facets of the 20th-century music business have been properly eulogized, but it seems that nary a tear was shed for the record club… Read the rest of this entry »

The Internuts have a funny way about them that’s lacking any true rhyme or reason. That’s the only way to explain how this Samuel L. Jackson gun violence PSA which looks as if it was originally posted online in 2010 has started going viral over the past few days. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m disappointed that I didn’t catch Toro Y Moi perform at this year’s Midpoint Music Festival in Cincinnati. Actually, scratch that: I’m utterly devastated that I didn’t get to stare in awe, jaw dropped with drool collecting at the corners of my mouth, at the man they call Chazwick shred sweet synthy riffs, as evidenced by Pitchfork TV’s taping of “Light Black.” Read the rest of this entry »

Would you rather have a Lexus or justice? A dream or some substance? A Beamer, a necklace watch or freedom? The Roots’ video snippet run for undun continues with “Stomp,” an answer of sorts to poverty for a surefire, get-rich-quick ghetto scheme. Although the risks of crapping out in this dicey game are much too high for anyone with a lick of sense. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ll seldom hear DaVinci running his mouth or talking shit in his songs, nor will you hear him profess how good he is. Instead, he lets the stellar quality of his music do the yapping for him. The vivid imagery of “Paying for my Past” is a perfect example, with lines like “See what would happen if you just take a taste/Your teeth missing, now you crater face/this ain’t just another place/kush blunts probably laced with empty promises.” And with visuals to supplement the vocals, you’re practically already in Fillmore, trying to keep pace with the Bay Area rapper. Read the rest of this entry »

Bottling up the sounds of the most popular season to create a hit with emeritus status is probably on the bucket list for nearly every artist doing it. For tabi Bonney, the D.C. mainstay with dreams of seeing his artisnal value grow with every public appearance, he takes 12 stabs at it with The Summer Years, a digestible but otherwise inchoate project owed to tabi’s inability to match his lyricism with the broad instrumentation on hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Never really been a big Kid Sister fan, myself. Yet, despite having some select songs that make you want to punish your brain with Q-tips, you can’t really knock a hot chick who can rap relatively well. Let alone, when she’s got Fool’s Gold brethren Danny Brown on board this scrolling video for her “Gucci Rag Top” remix, rapping about speakers beating up backseat passengers “like Emmit Till.” Read the rest of this entry »

For all the entertainers who get their shine from acting an ass, it’s refreshing to see Chip Tha Ripper in demand for staying “Low Key.” Playing up his relaxed demeanor over the rising Rami Beatz backdrop, the Cleveland greens-keeper takes listeners for a ride around his old stomping grounds, reminding folks ain’t nothing changed but the sneakers on his feet. Read the rest of this entry »

Deciding on whether or not to go with the above as a title was torture. That’s somebody’s child, you know? But when you take the time to fire up a computer, hit record and film yourself blowing a blood vessel in your neck in a completely empty room, isn’t that almost like welcoming any and all jokes? Yep, I thought so. Read the rest of this entry »