After kinda sorta fading into obscurity over the past year or so, fans of Donnis will be happy to know he actually has a plan of attack in 2012. For the first taste of new music from this XXL junior since his Southern Lights release last spring, the radio-friendly Atlanta rapper will be releasing an upcoming string of Snack Packs. Read the rest of this entry »

Donnis’ Southern Lights is full of high volume energy seemingly from nowhere, so it should come to little surprise that an impromptu video was spawned from his release party a couple weeks ago. The bottles were poppin’ and vibes were good at Atlanta’s Door 44 and 3 Little Digs broke out their cameras to capture the ambiance in all its swaggin’ splendor. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s something undeniably unique about XV’s product. Maybe it’s the way he’s able to blend catchy hooks with free-flowing rhymes. Or maybe it’s the uptempo-drenched beats that give backbone to his tracks. These are unique, no doubt; however, it’s the relative subject material of porn, video games and a nerdy ethos that gives the Wichita, Kansas-bred MC’s product charm. Read the rest of this entry »

Way over yonder, across the Georgia skyline, sits a manchild with the ability to mix up his own blend of dance on dance and lyrical sensibilities that should make the entire world adopt a southern’s charm, soon enough. If you see Donnis cooling out on a porch in the backwoods with his Ray-Bans on, just know he’s seeing the bigger picture through the Southern Lights. Read the rest of this entry »

Where I come from, people either love or loathe the Ford Mustang. Being the Motor City, everyone is in complete awareness of its prowess as an automobile, but certain car connoisseurs just can’t stand the sight of the storied ‘Stang’s so-called muscle. Well, it just so happens, most people I know also feel the same way about Donnis. Read the rest of this entry »

When A-Trak dropped the original “Ray Ban Vision” last fall, I played it maybe twice and kept moving. Despite a peaking Prynce and the Fools Gold founder’s glitched-out club-cranker, the song just didn’t click for a non-shade-rocking individual like myself. The well-timed remix, however, has me shuffling to find an iPod chord for the immediate update. Read the rest of this entry »

Like Granny’s Sunday morn’ breakfast with fixings and what not, Donnis has good taste in the ingredients that hit his seat at the table. Next up to top the butter on his bread is “Blackberry Molasses,” a filling, country rap tune that revisits the spread laid by Bobby V’s former group and updated by Crada. Read the rest of this entry »

Sabrina Smalls

Montana Fishburne Is Doing “Incredibly Well” In Rehab [GOT]

Can MTV Return to the Glory Days of Music Videos? [PopEater]

Lil Kim Disses Nicki Minaj In Her Hometown Queens [RTNY] Read the rest of this entry »

You know who Donnis is, but there’s a good chance you haven’t heard his music. This familiar face from the front of XXL‘s 2010 Freshman frenzy stays releasing easily marketable music, yet lacks a lane like Gangsta Gibbs and Wake N’ Bake Wiz, as well as the backing from a superstar like Big Sean or J. Cole. But, clout can be attained in many ways, and if this above average ATLien can continue to deliver eye-appealing visuals for ear-appealing anthems like “Tonight,” a Tokyo video shoot will only be the beginning. Read the rest of this entry »

Any teacher can attest to the fact that each class taught has a different personality. Last year’s XXL Freshman class was full of eclectic, ambitious musicians who were either made or destroyed by their own decisions. This year, the class was intentionally chosen to be ambassadors to the streets. Each artist seems to fit that bill. However not everyone is living up to the precedents set by last year’s clan. Who’ll be the next break-out star? Who’ll be the newest expulsion? Read the rest of this entry »

For a full-on push prior to dropping the full-length Fashionably Late, Donnis picked the cream of crop from this summer’s The Invitation mixtape as a way to remind us he’s still planning on bum rushing the Class of 2010 awards. For those that passed on “Maybe” the first time, Donnis delivers a breezy affair on some early aughts vibe with a sped up sample and worry free rhymes. Not bad theme music for roll cruising around with the windows down.

While it’s doubtful Donnis will dislodge Gibbs, Cole or Khalifia as 2010’s rookie of the year, at least he’s showing up to the competition. Better late than never.

Donnis Feat. CurT@!n$ & GLC – “Maybe Baby” (No DJ) | Download

Let’s face it: Hip-Hop perverted and killed the remix. By definition, a remix means to recombine (audio tracks or channels from a recording) to produce a new or modified audio recording. While there’s plenty of modifications, there’s not much new (or fresh) about commonplace rappers emailing off-topic verses to each other for the hot song of the week. Read the rest of this entry »

Not every act can start off on a stadium tour. In order to achieve Madison Square Garden love the initial grind of hitting dimly-lit, small to medium-sized clubs, taking some fan photos and shaking some sweaty hands is a must. Such was the case this past Saturday night as the kids from Chiddy Bang brought their Swelly Tour to the basement of Detroit’s famed St. Andrews Hall. Read the rest of this entry »

Shay Maria

The 5 Second Rule Isn’t True [TLF]

Protect Ya Tech: The 10 Coolest Droid X Cases Available (So Far) [Complex]

NBA Free Agent Rafer Alston Opts To Coach [Dime] Read the rest of this entry »

The tape that told you it would be there in five minutes, only to arrive five months later is finally here to rock, rap and rollout in disorderly fashion. Donnis basks in the glory as the guest of honor and Clinton Sparks, DJ Ill Will & Rockstar all share hosting duties for Fashionably Late: The Mixtape. To all you Donnis doubters, he wants this to be his show-n-prove moment. Read the rest of this entry »