From what has been publicized this year, Young Money’s next “build-a-superstar” project appears to be Lil’ Twist. Given Baby, Slim and Weezy’s prior successes, maybe they know something the masses are currently unfamiliar with. It is Tyga, however, who seems like the logical choice for such backing. Admittedly, his Black Thoughts 2 mixtape was anticipated on my personal radar. Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s the thing: part of me believes I could become a pretty good A&R over time. Meanwhile, the other part of me believes I’m using an “outside looking in approach” and underestimating what the position truly entails.

Still, I wouldn’t mind seeing a push behind this record. Read the rest of this entry »

Vanessa Veasly

8 Freaky Songs That Should Have Been Banned But Weren’t [The Urban Daily]

Before You See “The Social Network”… [Unreality]

When Rappers Release Albums From Prison [Complex]

Strippers Remind You To Get Your Flu Shot [Uproxx]

Why The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted [The New Yorker] Read the rest of this entry »

R. Kelly and Lil Jon share little in common, besides their ear for beats and the infamy of being eviscerated by Chappelle’s Show. Despite this and the many, many mockeries the duo have endured, they’re both undeniable hit makers and “Ms. Chocolate” is no exception. The beat brings the summertime heat and the denizens of South Beach club won’t mind if Lil Jon doesn’t have anything interesting to say as they dance their collective a$$es off. Kells and Mario carry the track anyways with their odes to the darker berries. Read the rest of this entry »

When I originally checked Mario’s lamenting new song, “She Was Her,” it specifically to hear what Jim Jonsin had cooked up for the variably-talented crooner. However, rather than the typically dope Miami Vice-type theme music we’ve come to expect from Jonsin, I was instead treated to a down-tempo, sensitive finger-snapper fit for street-corners in an updated Bronx Tale remake.

Extremely somber and humbly honest, this heart-wrenching piece of relationship advice could be the needed prescription for this brother Mario to get in with the real R&B crowd again.

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Download — Mario – “She Was Her” (Prod. By Jim Jonsin)

When I thought of how many of my fellow sneaker enthusiasts were hitting stores and standing in lines today, all in an effort to secure their SJ’s, I could only hear two songs. So it was either the too easy choice (‘Kast’s “So Fresh…”) or this Mario joint from 2005′s Turning Point. And hey, how often do you see a Mario track on TSS? Read the rest of this entry »

The last time we saw Chris, homie was making quite possibly the most embarrassing move since OJ tried to steal his OWN stuff back…and lost. Read the rest of this entry »