For his first act as a Roc Nation superhero, Jay Electronica wastes no time in getting his CDQ inaugural address out to the world after being sworn in. As expected, the coronation is a highly celebrated, metaphorical hypothesis. Read the rest of this entry »

As an artist, the only thing more frustrating than being sidelined from a puny buzz is being sidelined because your buzz drew the interest of a major label. Wealthy as they may be, most are still in the beta stage of harnessing new age talent. Too often, burgeoning talent see their momentum come to a standstill because the label needs that heat and wants the artist’s next move under their umbrella, no matter the cost. In Jay Electronica’s case, Read the rest of this entry »

Roc Nation’s latest and greatest signing Willow Smith is fresh on the scene with the video for her breakthrough jam “Whip My Hair.” When word first started circulating on her signing, I wasn’t sure whether this was a favor owed to Will & Jada or if it was straight legit. Looks to be official by my book, as “Whip My Hair” is gaining momentum by the day. Read the rest of this entry »

Each time I get into the mindset to write a post about Jay-Z, he makes another quick power move that usurps the last. He’s still transitioning to be seen as more than a rapper by fans and less as Beyonce’s husband to Middle America. Instead of overrunning the cup with coverage, here’s a quick rundown of several significant news bits his name has been attached to. Read the rest of this entry »

Fans appreciated Wale when he took it back to collaborating with his fellow rappers. They even stomached an honest yet unfocused album. But what they really wanted to hear from the kid from D.C. was nothing. Nada. Diddlysquat. Seinfeld. That definitive postmodern music. Read the rest of this entry »

You know how us Yanks are. We’re suckers for a pretty face/smile combo and an English accent. Roc Nation’s new beauty, Rita Ora sports all pretty well as her Roc Nation x Skullcandy Aviator headphones as a way to get her name a buzzin’. Read the rest of this entry »

North Carolina, stand up! And if y’all are wise, you better run towards the river because Jermaine Cole is hellbent on burning your city to a crisp and not just with the fiery flow either. Read the rest of this entry »

Young Cole invokes a playful but structured flow for this Tapemasters Inc. mixtape appearance. Read the rest of this entry »

From gracing our Bootleggers & Tastemakers stage in Austin to taking over S.O.B.’s in NYC, RocNation puts their focus on J. Cole in this short visual. Read the rest of this entry »

A song named “Who Dat” without an ode to my Saints? No Drew Brees bars? Tsk tsk. You get a few points deducted, Mr. Cole. that leaves your point total at somewhere around 70 gatrillion because this song is a banger with a healthy dose of clever lines. The song takes the simple approach with Cole going with what got him to the dance, meaning that relentless lyrical exercise that’s total & complete ear candy. Read the rest of this entry »

“Something like a pimp cause I’m still with the ‘caine, a lil drug dealin’ reference what I can’t try, these aggins out here lyin, Why can’t I?”

On a typical Monday, it’s slow motion and we can coast while preparing material for the rest of the week. Today has been an atypical Monday. The lil niglet from the ‘Ville went for his while on Tampa’s Wild 94.1FM, kicking a nice set of lines over Jay’s “Ignorant Shit.” Read the rest of this entry »

The black Rex Ryan is back like cooked crack or an angry ex. Like TC said earlier, it seems like Beanie listened to BP3 more than even Jay did. Meanwhile, Jigga is probably waiting for Beans to drop an album after The Reason. Read the rest of this entry »

Autumn Renee x Cold Mondays

Pendelton X Junya Watanabe Comme Des Garçons [BRKW]

20 Things Worth Knowing About Beer [Uncoached]

Illinois Early Prison Release Program Comes Under Fire [Black Voices]

The Ting Tings Collaborate With Rihanna For Their Roc Nation Debut [C.S. Perspective]

A Bynum-for-Bosh Deal? [Red's Army]

Fat Boys, Kid N’ Play, J.J. Fad Confirm 2010 Tour Dates [HHDX] Read the rest of this entry »

For all of the perks an affiliation with Jay-Z should bring, J. Cole has managed to live & rhyme a quiet existence, flying under the radars of most media outlets. I mean, of course we’ve plugged his work & tapped him for a Smoking Session. Yet, outside of that, he’s remained elusive in an age where we see & hear newly christened next big things on every remix, web site and paparazzi incident. Read the rest of this entry »

It was bound to happen. A Black man would take center stage in the urban spotlight to represent the nation’s capital. Yeah, President Obama has the entire country’s eyes on his executive position, but Olubawale Folarin or Wale as he’s much better known, has become D.C.’s Hip-Hop voice as he’s risen to become the city’s most recognizable representative in the particular branch. Read the rest of this entry »