First Rick Ross looked to kill his enemies with The Albert Anastasia EP. Then he sought to murder his competition with Teflon Don. Now he’s overseeing the immolation of the opposition on Ashes To Ashes. Oops, did I just say the same thing three different ways? Well, welcome to The Ricky Rozay Show! It’s nothing but heaps of materialism masked with a flow that can do the backstroke in a tidal wave. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking at the title on first glance, my first thought told me Smoke was paying homage to that character from the Rugrats, Dr. Lipschtiz, from the mid ’90′s. Oh, don’t front like you didn’t watch that cartoon with your younger relatives way back when. Everyone (except Gotty™) did. I quickly realized the error of my assumptions, Read the rest of this entry »

Try as you might, it’s really hard to hate on this guy. Yeah, he may be in love with a slore and his raps may be monosyllabic, but Soulja Boy entertains us all with his antics. In the positive sense–just like a true entertainer is supposed to. Read the rest of this entry »

If you weren’t satisfied with “Celebrity” – Lloyd Banks‘ previously leaked Hunger For More 2 track featuring Slim Shady and Akon – this one should feed your appetite. An arousing iTunes Bonus Track that sounds like it didn’t fit on Recovery and was handed down to an easily-pranked Banks, this building badge of Boi-1da-produced braggadocio bounds and gags all the ladies these two gentleman had lagging the past and leaves them left lonely in Lamborghini smoke.  Read the rest of this entry »

One of the illest songs of the year reciprocates the virus with a visual to get the culture live and thriving. Everytime you hear Bun B and Drizzy Drake body Boi-1da’s haunting organs, it constantly sounds fresh and beckons for a repeat listen and an increased volume in the subwoofers. First time impressions are always the deepest and here’s a few from my first go-round with the clip for “Put It Down.” Read the rest of this entry »

It never fails. Every two weeks or so when I speak to some of my people from Cali, I get the same question. “Come to Cali, man. What are you waiting for?” Each time, I never have an answer other than the fact that my money situation isn’t exactly ideal to make big moves like that at the moment.

The West Coast lifestyle has long since intrigued me Read the rest of this entry »

Nigel D.’s “Behind The Grind” series unveils a very dope and insightful interview with Boi-1da where the craftsman shares his story on rising to prominence Read the rest of this entry »

The first time I listen to anything from Pimp Chad’s The Naked Soul Of Sweet Jones will be when the entire album is made available. So I had to turn to outside opinions for feedback on the Boi-1da constructed “What Up” – the Pimp’s postumous collab with his partner in rhyme Bun B and self-proclaimed UGK alumni, Drake. Got all the back info squared away? Good. Here we go. Read the rest of this entry »

No surprises in seeing this collab here. The “Uptown” boys put it down on So Far Gone and since then, have been the best of chums. One would expect Bun to bring the trill but Drizzy sends some shots in some of you (ahem) “haters” direction without any sugar coating: Read the rest of this entry »

Nobody ever really talks about the “after.” Sure, when a person is at there peak or lowest point, there’s usually that rallying of attention, which could be there to reinforce positive and/or negative energies. Still, it isn’t a solo mission. What happens after that when the concern is lessened and you’re deemed healthy enough to go at this thing called life alone? The solitude could be the scariest journey of all. Read the rest of this entry »

To prequel Rawse’s transformation into the Teflon Don this summer, Def Jam and Maybach Music Group deliver The Albert Anastasia EP for you to stuff your face into until it’s numb. Starring Diddy as Meyer Lanksy, John Legend as Lucky Luciano, Yo Gotti as himself and DJ Clark Kent, The Runners and a host of others as the Gambino Producer Family, Rick Ross smells like money Read the rest of this entry »

At least, he sure as hell resembles the masked maurader in this picture.

Before Ricky offers the world a look into the daily workings of his mafioso type wheelings and dealings on Teflon Don, Memorial Day Weekend needs tending to first. Read the rest of this entry »

Although it lacks the fiery passion that made “Successful” such an instantaneous classic, Drake and Weezy F. ride the lightning with flurries of clever quips (“Drake just stands for do right and kill everything”/”Turn you into a vegetable like you lying in soup”) that keep all the fans and haters checking in, regardless of the insane popularity. Read the rest of this entry »

Simply put, Thank Me Later has too many guest appearances. The people paid their money to hear Drake, not Sgt. Drizzy’s Lonely Hearts Club. It’s overly calculated, pieces of plastic like this that continue to strip the art from every industry album as the game keeps reforming. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone has pride, just like everyone has a breaking point. And at some time, everyone is going to hear all the criticisms placed upon them. To their face and behind their back.

In the world of Hip-Hop, those criticisms are magnified, especially in current times. For artists like Eminem, Jay-Z and OutKast, their legend was stamped long before the Internet rose to power. While it is a gift and a curse, “newer” artists do not necessarily have that luxury. They travel the road to hopeful Hip-Hop hierarchy with the World Wide Web documenting their every step and misstep. Aubrey Drake Graham is a perfect example. Read the rest of this entry »