Grab your best indoor cardigan and throw two fingers up, then throw ‘em back down because Nottz has a video that you need to see. And if your sign language skills go beyond the first few letters of the alphabet go ahead and throw a P or C before the A because Asher & Colin are getting in on the fun as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Look at Asher, why don’t ya? Left college, dropped a respectable debut album and signed a lease on his own place. Given his profession, he couldn’t have had better luck in choosing a producer for his next door neighbor. It’s a win-win situation for both. All Asher has to do is slap some deodarant on, find the nearest pair of flip flops and walk next door whenever a 16 comes to mind. Read the rest of this entry »

Still putting the finishing touches on his Legato Blues Summer mixtape Novel unleashed a track to tide us over. Although this is from his debut album Calligraphy, the mellowed out vibes are as refreshing as when the heat finally breaks on a hot summer day. Read the rest of this entry »

Ready to be known to the general public for more than being Wale’s backing band, Go-Go sextet UCB is ready to move to the forefront of the stage with their upcoming The Blend Mixtape. With “Diana,” the group flips Ms. Ross’ rendition of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” to an assurance of fidelity while out on the road. Read the rest of this entry »

The allure of fame and stardom has drawn many a man in for a chance to bask in their glow. With two nondescript albums under their belt, Kidz In The Hall have attained varying degrees of both as they’ve navigated through the music industry. Realizing that success is a journey and not a destination, Naledge & Double O continued to hone & refine their respective crafts. So for their third album, the duo chronicled their own path as they trek through what they like to call the Land Of Make Believe. Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping in the spirit of strong spring releases for the Hip-Hop community, the Kidz from down the hall will be entering the Land Of Make Believe with a star-studded cast including Just Blaze, Chip Tha Ripper, MC Lyte, Donnis, Amanda Diva, and The Kid Daytona. Read the rest of this entry »

Call it a mixtape or call it an album, as long as it has dope in the front.

Marching to the beat of their own drum, producers Beatnick & K-Salaam finally got around to dropping this video off of their Where The Streets Have No Name tape which dropped back in August. Read the rest of this entry »

With rumors circulating more than the H1N1 strain, I’m not sure if and when Diddy’s Last Train To Paris will ever leave the station. Thing is, that “Dirty Money” ensemble he formed wasn’t half bad, at least this track wasn’t. Sean likely wanted to hold on to his Drake assisted cut, “Hurt (Loving You No More)”, but the powers that be saw fit otherwise. Puff and his Dirty Money crew harmonize over this smooth instrumental that’ll likely have the hook stuck in your head long after the song concludes. However, it’s Aubrey who comes through with an impressive guest verse.

“Uh, tryin’ not to think
Only cause I drove and I had a lot to drink
When I wanted it blue
You said we had to paint it pink
And it’s pieces of your hair still sittin’ in my sink
And you still got underwear that sittin’ in the dryer
How come everytime that you’re suspicious I’m a liar?
You stand out, I can hear you whistle in a choir
And that’s the only reason you the misses I admire.”

It’s easy for me to say, “this should have been the single”, but this really should have been the single. That’s water under the bridge though. Regardless, as 2009 and the decade draws closer and closer to the end, the Hip-Hop world awaits the debut album from the Toronto thespian-turnt-rapper. Call him generic, call him over saturated, but, for the most part, he makes some pretty damn good music. “Rookie” or vet. Thank Me Later has the potential one of the better debut albums in a long while based on one definitive factor: Drake’s ability to make a quality song.

And that, my friends, isn’t as easy as you might think.

Download — Dirty Money Feat. Drake – “Hurt (Loving You No More)” Pulled by request of Bad Boy

As a bonus, add these to your archives as well. In case you’re wondering, these won’t be on TML.

Download — Drake Feat. Colin Munroe – “Material Girl”

Download — Birdman Feat. Drake–Play Ball | Drake – “Scriptures”

Respect: ATF

If I had to pick the most important characteristic someone’s music would need for me to vibe to it, I’d most definitely pick honesty. The best of lyricists get the side-eye if I know they’re speaking rubbish but a mediocre wordsmith would still get a pass if every word is at least partly believable.

Luckily, Chicago’s R.O.E. is an honest MC with a penchant for sharp lyrics. Read the rest of this entry »

Production Powerhouse Beatnick & K-Salaam have teamed up with tastemaker Hip-Hop blog illroots.com & the top music stream site on the web imeem.com, to bring you an eclectic groundbreaking Hip-Hop compilation album with a strong message, featuring the duo’s innovative and flawless production as the backdrop for street anthems from the likes of Lil’ Wayne, Bun B, Young Buck, Talib Kweli, K’naan, U-N-I, Colin Munroe, tabi bonney, Demarco, & much more…

Link and track list ahead. Read the rest of this entry »

Bun B. gets together with his “Country Cousin” Talib Kweli on this leak from the upcoming Where The Streets Have No Home from producers K-Salaam & Beatnick. Read the rest of this entry »

In honor of Independence Day, Novel drops off his Suspended Animation mixtape in an effort to liberate us radio’s bland playlists.  Consisting of both original works and interpolations, Novel sings and (occasionally) raps his way through the tape.  Boasting features by Ced Hughes, Ghostface, Joell Ortiz, Papoose & Spree Wilson this could be considered by some to be easy listening.  Judge for yourself after the break. Read the rest of this entry »

Holler @ me tonight @ Barfly’s.

At this point, I’ve seen live performances by the majority of XXL’s 10 Freshman. The only remaining one that I’ve yet to see is actually the first one that we predicted would be a musical noisemaker a couple of years ago. Coming full circle, I’ll be going to check out Wale on Saturday as his Attention Deficit tour makes its way through Nashville. Read the rest of this entry »

Culture VI just delivered a dope interview with The Free Agent himself, Joell Ortiz. The indy record label gets in-depth with Read the rest of this entry »