Brittany Dailey

X-Men Takes Home $56 Million [EW]

Swagger Jackin’ Aint Cool: Bow Wow Edition [Semtex]

10 Greatest NBA Centers of All-Time [Roc4Life]

New York Jets Braylon Edwards Putting 100 Kids Through College [Sporting News] Read the rest of this entry »

Artistry is derived from it’s vessel’s drive. Much more than some social media status or community college course requirement, artistry is the passion to see a vision through from spark to flame and the will to conquer any and all adversaries that try to stop you along the way. At one point or another during their lives, most people attempt to be artists, yet their engines lack the horsepower to allow their goals to see the beautiful light of day. Simply put, some people have what it takes while others don’t. Read the rest of this entry »

Words by C. Paicely

Just wait until Fest’s alderman’s race opponent Willie Cochran gets hold of this. When Che revealed his political ambitions, many of us assumed he would be absentee from the mic and, for all intents and purposes, he has been. But every artist has a plethora of unreleased material sitting in a closet or on a hard drive waiting to be uncovered. Read the rest of this entry »

Jenice Marie Diaz

21 Amazing Beatles Covers [Gunaxin]

Proposed Resolutions For The MC Hammer vs. Jay-Z Feud [TSJ]

CNN’s ‘Black in America’ to Tackle Debt Crisis [The BVX]

The NBA Dress Code, Five Years Later [The Hoop Doctors] Read the rest of this entry »

Our friends at Creative Loafing my have said it best – A3C “is not so much a revolution as it is a renaissance” and it’s one we’ve been looking forward to for month’s now. Still, there’s always a ton of work leading up to these events that drain the heck out of you, to the point where getting there means more than just arriving. It means all the labor and hard work are essentially done lol. Read the rest of this entry »

With fishnet stockings, dripping wet orifices and an alluring mystique, Rhymefest has found Ariel in the flesh. What once was an unreleased mirage is now a reality in the physical as Monica Miyagi exhibits her amphibian-like ways for all our viewing pleasure. This didn’t appear on El Che but I don’t think there will be any disclaimers on its existence. Read the rest of this entry »

Rhymefest didn’t fully approve of his 3 Cig rating (nor some of the snarky commenter’s remarks) but we still maintain that the album is cool, nothing major. And we have love for Che all day so it’s all good over here. Moving right along, Chicago’s favorite pontificator proves he build his catalog and his muscles without any sweat from his back. Read the rest of this entry »

One would assume that high profile co-signs, along with an undeniable skill set would be more than enough to ensure safe passage on the path to stardom. Unfortunately, fame is a fickle beast and who you know or who you’re presumably better than carries little weight as to how far you’ll actually go. With the release and commercial disappointment of his debut Blue Collar, Chicago emcee Rhymefest knows this just as well as anyone. Read the rest of this entry »

If it feels like the city is falling, you’re probably in an earthquake and it would behoove you to seek shelter. If not, you’re probably experiencing the fallout from the animation of Rhymefest’s latest El Che clip. It appears to be live action with the effects added in by the genius of director Konee Rok. Either way, N. State Street has never looked sweeter. Read the rest of this entry »

The trip to the P.O. Box was good yesterday as it turned up a cassette copy of Rhymefest’s El Che, released on dN|Be Entertainment. Since I’m one of the last Mohicans with a tape player (I have one in the daily beater, still using it periodically) this could actually be used but I doubt it. I like it more as a keepsake, especially since they were a limited release. Read the rest of this entry »

Honestly, I didn’t think there was any way that Court Dunn could continue to top his previous output in the One Shot series, done in conjunction with eskay & co. Since I’ve listened to both ‘Fest & Wale’s versions of this track countless times, I just didn’t see much room for growth to make this video worth watching. But Dunn did it. And he didn’t overextend or do anything dazzling. He simply added a minor interpretive twist (the keyboard & lyrics) that makes the short a good add to the burgeoning portfolio. Read the rest of this entry »

Mixed by DJ RTC, today brings us Rhymefest’s Dangerous: 5-18 mixtape, which serves as a prelude to El Che. A mix of scrapped album tracks and a few other notables, this should be a good addition to the archives. Read the rest of this entry »

Often one to erupt on wax, the riveting Rhymefest carefully pours his prophecies over “Familiar Faces,” the latest leak from his upcoming tape Dangerous: 5:18. The result is an honest impression of societal apprehension, based around Emile’s exquisite interpolation of a Gary Jules’ song made famous from the unheralded cult film Donnie Darko.

Whether it was Emile or the Chi-Town harbinger himself who came up with the idea to recycle is unknown, but somebody was thinking, because this the perfect example of how sampling something other than an R&B soul record or old UGK hook can result in a well-cooked cut.

It’s also worth noting that Rhymefest makes general reflection songs like this better than just about anyone in the business.

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Download — Rhymefest – “Familiar Faces”

Sounds vaguely familiar? Nearly identical to Wale’s “Letter”? Pretty much is the same track, as I assume they were both created @ the house of Ronson studios & Allido Records.

“This song (“Letter”) was recorded for the “El Che” album while I was still on Allido Records with live vocals from John Mayer.” If the fans really dig the record, I will release a follow-up statement addressing the Wale situation (how he came about recording his version of “Letter”) in the immediate future.”

What do we learn here? Nothing major because both artists created authentic, gripping verses. The good is Fest will be dropping a mixtape, Dangerous 5-18, as a precursor to El Che. And that this track will be receiving the Court Dunn treatment. Yay!

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Download — Rhymefest – “Letter”

Propers: Matt

In preparation for their upcoming Closed Sessions Vol. 1 the good folks at Ruby Hornet decided let off one last leak before next Tuesday. Pairing up S-K-Y-Z-O-O & El Che, the duo throws a new coat of paint on one of Bleek & Beans’ concepts from the Roc’s glory days. Adhering to the old adage, “It ain’t where you from, it’s where you at” Sky & Rhyme momentarily switch stomping grounds while playing tour guides in each others respective cities.

All without the help of Freamon & Prezboluski.

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Download — Skyzoo & Rhymefest – “Crack The Code” (Prod. by Beatnick & K-Salaam)