With the arrival of Raekwon’s Unexpected Victory, it appears fans are the ones who’ve won. The new mixtape, which dropped along with the ball two nights ago, features all of the cinematic details you’ve come to expect from Chef and actually happens to be the first free release of his two-decade-long career to boot. Read the rest of this entry »

Sure, it’s a man’s world but it wouldn’t be a damn thing without a woman’s touch. With more and more female rappers trying their manicured hands at juggling an occupation in the mic booth, North Carolina’s Rapsody puts the contents of her name first and details about her measurements dead last, proving she can conceive witty one-liners and linear subject matter just like everybody else. Backed by 9th Wonder and his production cohorts The Soul Council, the ambitious emcee’s For Everything looks to make believers out of the entire Hip-Hop community. Read the rest of this entry »

One of Hip-Hop’s more unique (and occasionally detrimental) qualities is an artist and sound being largely associated with its regions. And more so than that, its individual states. For North Carolina, one of the northern most southern states, the DNA of the music has largely associated with soulful sounds as opposed to the bass-driven music some of its Southern contemporaries have made insanely popular. Read the rest of this entry »

Even though we keep a keen eye out for everything Rapsody does, I can’t say I saw this coming. And even though the North Carolina wordsmith keeps one eye covered on that mystic, too-cool-for-school tip, she always has the other one locked in on the studio as you can see with the release of her new album, For Everything, which is only a few months removed from her last mixtape. Read the rest of this entry »

Daytona is wheeling and dealing with that excrement that keeps all the insects buzzing in the summertime. Over a tropical 9th Wonder beat and even more tropical setting on the beaches of Puerto Rico, The Interlude LP continues to flex stronger leg muscles than Carl Lewis, considering it was released nearly a year ago and the video soul is still flowing freely. Read the rest of this entry »

While it’s not George Kush The Button, 9th Wonder’s The Wonder Years is a magnificent title for sheer nostalgic purposes of the classic ’90′s program. My fellow HBCU alum recounts his hustle and each rung on the ladder of success it has taken him to become the man Hip Hop reveres as one of its more respected producers. The video is appropriate as it shows a man comfortable in all environments and one who has never forgotten his roots.

If nothing else, I’ll file this in my “pick-me-up” rap catalog; the type of song that reminds you that some people chase their dreams and in some cases, they come true.

Bonus: If that’s not enough 9th, clear about 12 minutes out of the schedule and take a peep at what it’s like to actually live life in the man of the post’s shoes, filmed and presented by The Conscious Tip.

Regardless of your backstory and no matter your name, there’s a certain line you don’t cross if you want to be taken seriously. Even though it seems Charles Hamilton’s been playing hopscotch over that line for some time now, his new, industry-assaulting slight “Cats Said I Can’t Diss You” might just have done Sonic in for good. Read the rest of this entry »

Without question, Warren G is responsible for more than a few of my most cherished songs. Between the his non-threatening rhymes and production that has always soothed like painkillers and purp, the Long Beach mainstay has solidified a spot in my rotation for an eternity. That said, the G-Child’s verse on 9th Wonder’s “Enjoy” is not very good. Between occasionally falling off beat and rhyming few and far between, the 213 anchor doesn’t add much to the first verse of this Wonder Years leak aside from a unique feature credit.

Pushing the negativity aside, though, 9th’s down-tempo back-track does provides some strings for K-Dot and Murs to son regardless, making the track worth the spins for most. Hopefully, you can make it past Mr. G to hear them.

The Wonder Years drops on September 27.

9th Wonder Feat. Warren G, Murs & Kendrick Lamar – “Enjoy”

Before the receipt is being printed for your purchase of Phonte’s Charity Starts At Home next Tuesday, two thirds of Little Brother link up to drop one last leak. Read the rest of this entry »

“If you thinkin’ bout quitting you should probably wait/Cause everybody gotta do a f*ckin’ job that they hate…”

As difficult as it is to explain, some songs come along at the right time and speak to you something serious. Read the rest of this entry »

“But what’s the deal with you and 9th on a solo?/I say we was homeboys before rap/n*gga we workin’ on it…” — Phonte from Median’s The Sender.

If there was anything more than a disagreement between Phontigallo and 9th, it isn’t evident in their chemistry in the studio. Read the rest of this entry »

The 9th Wonder of the world has recently been taking heat for his opinions regarding Watch The Throne’s quality but come September 27th, 2011, the producer will have the opportunity to prove he can do much better. It’s The Wonder Years, starring 9th Wonder, in his 137th full-length feature presentation that will surely be an ultimate dream for followers of his movement. Read the rest of this entry »

Chris Brown bought out DatPiff and got HotNewHipHop to cosign his adventures in rapping, titled Boy In Detention. Listen if you will as “Breezy “displays his versatility as not just a singer, but a rapper as well.” Read the rest of this entry »

Since the video for Actual Proof and 9th Wonder’s mellow-hype posse cut “Super Genius” hadn’t made the jump from tracklist to green-screen yet, Skewby took it upon himself to take the track off the back-burner and shot a visual for strictly his sixteen off the production-trio’s Talented Tenth compilation. Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite episodes of Everybody Hates Chris was when he made the wrestling team. Long story short, he did so because he believed having a letterman jacket would allow him to experience a different world socially. The same can be said, somewhat, about the DMV’s own Phil Adé. Read the rest of this entry »