The artist formerly known as Mos Def, Yasiin Bey, just released the video accompaniment to his track, “N****s In Poorest,” and it’s weird. Well, it’s not “weird” in the Merriam-Webster sense, but consider it ironic or out-of-place “weird.” Read the rest of this entry »

Rap can be easy, or, better put, it can be formulaic. Rapper A can gain Internet notoriety by generically coasting over any bass- or boom-bap-heavy beat without breaking a sweat and it’ll still resonate. It takes skill – real skill – to make tracks that are omnipotent, metaphoric and great, characteristics G-Side has shown a knack for.

The duo’s latest, “Spaceships,” resonates in two ways: its title symbolically represents their hometown of Huntsville, Alabama (an American aerospace mecca), and also relays the feeling of wanting to blast away from the past in search of greener pastures. Fellow Huntsville comrades, Block Beattaz, lace a somber piano loop, but that ambiance wouldn’t be enough without the following line: “So I’m packing up my bags, I’mma take a chance with the states/I can’t wait another year because my hood dying off everyday.”

It’s either/or for G-Side: remain grounded or take the chance with the unknown. The former’s a dead-end and the latter’s risky. However, with skill in G-Side’s corner, it’s a no-brainer: countdown to lift-off.

In the feverish midst of Lin-sanity, New York MC Troy Ave. has assembled a formidable NYC posse cut in the form of “Home T.E.A.M.,” off his upcoming Bricks In My Backpack 3: The Harry Powder Trilogy. Reaching out to Action Bronson, Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Maffew Ragazino and Avon Blocksdale, the five-piece concocts a potent boom-bap anthem for their East Coast home. Read the rest of this entry »

Mac Miller continues expanding his production palette by hopping on Ski Beatz’ “Time Goes,” a single from Ski’s upcoming 24-Hour Karate School Presents: Twilight project. The kooky beat sees the Pittsburgh MC wax poetic about being magnificent, among many other self-congratulatory bars, before Bay Area spitter Locksmith closes out the track Read the rest of this entry »

The clown show that can be (or perpetually is) Young Money Records moved their act to the Grammys yesterday with a party at Paramount Studios. Although this sounds like mundane stuff, a particular four-minute span towards the end of the party probably (and rightfully) caused a few in the audience to ask, “what the f**k?” Read the rest of this entry »

In Yelawolf’s latest video for Trunk Muzik 0-60′s “Marijuana,” the Southern MC tosses around bushels of America’s favorite cash crop while professional skateboarder Paul Rodriguez totes a straw hat and shotgun. Sounds like an effective, cut-and-dry aesthetic to frame the video. Read the rest of this entry »

Curren$y will rip any and all production, original or not. Thus, it should come as no surprise that the MC had his own version of Wu’s classic, “C.R.E.A.M.,” stashed away in the archives, which recently leaked. The well-aged cut, which also features Willie The Kid, benefits from a Spitta rendition Read the rest of this entry »

The simple things in life get us through the daily grind. For Tennessean Skewby, these little pleasures can take the form of Polo sweatshirts, soft drinks and vinyls. Read the rest of this entry »

Depending on your location, the breakfast food hierarchy goes something like this:

1. McDonald’s
2. Bob Evan’s/IHOP/Waffle House/Cracker Barrel

3. Tim Horton’s/Dunkin’ Donuts/*Insert another generic coffee-and-pastry chain restaurant here* Read the rest of this entry »

Scotty’s a beast and he’s not afraid to pound his chest to let people know. The Atlanta native enlists fellow Southerner DJ Burn One to lace a beat that lets Scotty slide his fluid Southern drawl over pounding, heavy-handed bass. Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t get Fox News started on the media. They continuously accused liberal hippies of using various tactics to execute a smear campaign against the Grand Ol’ Party for decades now. Any outlet outside Rupert Murdoch’s empire is subject to conservative-minded scorn–even The Muppets. Read the rest of this entry »

A friend couldn’t have summed up ESPN’s Winter X-Games better: “For three days every January, Sal Masakela gets a job and ESPN showcases 9 million degrees of spins.” Very true, but it also allows the network to try and awkwardly fit some randomly selected soundtrack to long-haired Europeans’ doing flips off a 30-foot snow pile. Nas held that position this year, but his appearance wasn’t as disastrous as it could’ve been. Read the rest of this entry »

Stalley has a tangible rapport with producer Ski Beatz that turns heads every time a new collaboration track drops. After releasing the Sensei Beatz-crafted gem, “Gentleman’s Quarterly,” earlier this week, Stalley reached into his archives to drop “Harsh Ave,” a track previously heard only in video. Read the rest of this entry »

XV’s a populist at heart, whether that’s evident through his choice of jittery club-ready production or tasty cultural allusions. On his latest video for “Batteries” he incorporates both, appealing to fans across the Hip-Hop spectrum. Read the rest of this entry »

Depending on whom you ask from Chicago, Kanye West is either a “great musical ambassador for the city” or “a sell-out.” Maybe his reputation in the Windy City isn’t that cut-and-dry, but it’s close, as he’s become a global renaissance man with each publicized move. However, two MCs that Chicago Hip-Hop fans will rally ’round, Southside’s L.E.P. Bogus Boys, never warrant the dreaded “S-word.” Read the rest of this entry »