Joe Budden TV.............Is Baaaaaack!

I'm not commenting either way on this video. I don't want to say what anyone should or should not do with their significant other. All I gotta say is "Only On Wednesday" LMAO!!!!!

The Dead Weather - I Cut Like a Buffalo

Jack White is at it again!! Thank the Lord for AMTV. He's formed a super group of sorts called The Dead Weather and they are not playing around. This is MY ISH right now! Listen and enjoy.

Kidz in the Hall - We Gone

New Naledge and Double-O!!! I still play The In Crowd like it came out last week or something. The album comes out in March and I'm all over it.

Kidz In The Hall – We Gone from Motion Family on Vimeo.

The Book of Eli - Trailer

I know where I'll be the weekend of January 15th. This looks pretty damn good from the trailer.

HOT ONES - Redman - How High

Up until about '96 Redman was my favorite rapper. He can still spit, but his old stuff is some of the best that rap has to offer. I can't forget The Blues Brothers themed video for this joint either. That was classic. Merry Early Christmas courtesy of Reggie Noble.

Redman - "How High" - Sixth Verse

"Look up in the, I got the verbs, nouns and glocks in ya,
Enter the center, lyrics bang like rico-chet,
Rabbit, I brings havoc with an A-K matic
Rollin blunts an all day habit.
I get it on like Smif'n'Wes
Punks take a sip and test,
Who split your vest?
The funk phenomenon
I'm bombin you like Lebanon,
Blow canals of Panama
Just off stamina.
Styles not to be fucked with, or played with
Fuck the pretty hoes, I love those Section 8 Bit-ches,
Hittin switches, Twistin wigs with
Fat radical mathematical type scriptures.
I dig up in your planets like Diga,
Boo, scared you, blew you to smithe-reens.
Fuck the marines, I got machines
To light the spliff, and read Mad Magazine.
I fly more heads than Continental,
Wreck ya 5 times like US AIR off an instrumental.
Look I'm not a half way crook with bad looks
But I may murder your case like your name was Cal Brooks.
I breaks em off proper,
Ask Biggie Smalls 'Who Shot Ya'
Funk doctor, with the 12 Gauge Mossberg.
Look, I got the tools like Rickle
To make your mind tickle
For the nine-nickel
Punk ass, pussy ass
Word up Tical, We Out!"

Distant Relatives (Nas and Damian Marley) Artwork

I love collaborations and this one should have me wanting to go to Africa and visit probably around April or so. Nice cover. Nice!

Fly Union and Big Sean - Poed Up

Fly Union has never really dazzled me on the lyrical tip, but I like the music they make. This song is hot not only because of the beat, but also because of Big Sean. I'm starting a petition to get this song in heavy rotation at your local club/lounge. Who's with me??

Fly.Union ft. Big Sean "Poed Up" from Palestra Creative on Vimeo.

Diamond Supply Co.

Curren$y at the Diamond Supply NY Pop Up Shop from Creative Control on Vimeo.

Diamond's pop-up shop is lacing New York with some heat!

Still Going Strong And Only Getting Better

10Deep has been doing it for awhile and they continue to offer quality product!

Til The Casket Drops! This Tuesday! Dec. 8th

I've been listening to the Re-Up Gang's "We Got It 4 Cheap" mixtape series this weekend, getting ready for the new Clipse CD! Get ready for what some are calling the hip hop CD of the year!

Serius Jones - Oh Baby

Ayo, that old man screaming at the end of this had me weak!!! Serius took some shots at some rappers on this, but I don't see anything brewing (luckily). No matter what he does going forward, he's always going to be the guy that said Charles Hamilton looked liked a "new AKA" LMAO!!!

Serius Jones- "Oh Baby" (Official Video) from Light up Productions on Vimeo.

Snoop Dogg feat. Jamie Foxx - I Wanna Rock

Big Snoop Dogg is back on the scene. I guess we can call him Calvin know because he's all grown up. The song isn't bad.

Empire State of Mind (Live at the American Music Awards)

I believe the correct term is Better Late Than Never.

Artist Spotlight - Carlitta Durand

Ms. Durand is no newcomer to the music industry, but she is far from a household name. Fans of Little Brother (Sirens, After the Party) and Zo! (Nights Over Egypt) are very aware of the vocal stylings of Carlitta. I had to step back and take notice when I heard "Nights Over Egypt" because the vocals were so smooth and because it is my favorite track off ...Just Visiting Too. Her mixtape has gotten great reviews and I know she is poised for a big break in the near future. She has a variety of styles and won't be pigeon-holed easily. Check out "A New Life" and you will hear a hint of Ella Fitzgerald on a hip-hop/big band beat. Then on a track like "Zoom" there is a futuristic, high-intensity vibe going on. This may be her best attempt at a party track. But, most of the songs I've heard have been more sultry than anything. I think she does a great job of knowing how much vocal force to give each song. If it calls for her to hold back a little, she does that really well. Also, her voice sounds slightly different from song to song which is really good so the music doesn't become predictable. North Carolina is sooooooooooo slept on when it comes to the music scene. I'm hoping that all the work that Little Brother, Carlitta Durand, and others continue to do will bring that area the much needed props they deserve.

My Personal Carlitta Durand soundtrack:

You Got Me Pt. 1
Zoom
This Time Around - RoddyRod feat. Carlitta Durand and Phonte (video below)
Nights Over Egypt - Zo! feat. Carlitta Durand
What If?

http://www.myspace.com/missdurand

RoddyRod feat Carlitta Durand and Phonte - "This Time Around" from Humble Monarch on Vimeo.

Sharp and Sir - Never

Something new coming from the DYT. More local music will be on its way in the near future I promise. Official video will be posted when it drops.


Never (Official Video COMING SOON)

SHARP | MySpace Video

Freestyle Friday's at Denny's feat. Wale and J. Cole

Lol. Aren't you supposed to flow in restaurants AFTER you rap career is over? There must be a lot of down time on this tour.

Slaughterhouse - Microphone

"I'll have your clothes looking like they was designed by 'Bullet holes and shoe prints" - Royce 5'9

One of the best songs on the album finally gets some much needed visuals to go with it. The video seems kinda all over the place, but I like the tattoo parlor shots and the whole pig theme they got going on. For those of you who haven't bought the album yet I suggest you make it a Christmas present to yourself.

HOT ONES - Big Pun - The Dream Shatterer

I love lyrics. I love when artists go hard (no homo) and really let their lyrical ability shine in their music. So I figured I'd spotlight some of my favorite rap verses of all time on The Chop Up in a feature I so cleverly named "Hot Ones." Okay, it might not really be that clever, but "Hip Hop Quotable" was already taken dammit! On the debut installment of "Hot Ones" Christoper "Big Pun" Rios shows why he is the numero uno when it comes to Latin rappers.

Big Pun - "The Dream Shatterer" - First Verse

"Ayo, I shatter dreams like Jordan, assault and batter your team,
Your squadron will be barred from rap like Adam & Eve from the garden.
I'm carvin' my initials on your forehead,
So every night before bed you see the "BP" shine off the board head.
Reverse that, I curse at the first wack nigga with the worst rap, cause he ain't worth jack,
Hit 'em with a thousand pounds of pressure per slap,
Make his whole body jerk back, watch the earth crackhand him his purse back.
I'm the first Latin rapper to baffle your skull,
Master the flow, niggas be swearin' I'm blacker than coal,
Cole like Nat King, I be rapping and tongue's packing,
The ones, magnums, cannons and Gatling guns.
It's Big Pun. The one and only son of Tony....Montana,
You ain't promised manana in the rotten manzana.
C'mon-pana we need more rhymers, feel the marijuana snake bite anaconda,
A man of honour wouldn't wanna try to match my persona.
Sometimes rhymin' I blow my own mind like Nirvana,
Comma, and go the whole nine like Madonna,
Go try to find another rhymer with my kinda gramma."

Andy Samberg/The Lonely Island - Throw It On The Ground

"Happy Birthday to the GROUND!!!!" and "This ain't my dad, this is a cell phone!" are two of the funniest lines I've heard all year in any capacity. I don't know how he keeps coming up with this stuff. I really don't do comedy albums, but I think I'm going to cop this off iTunes soon. Disregard the skit after the video.

Gucci Mane feat. U-S-H-E-R R-A-Y-M-O-N-D - Spotlight

In case you needed another reason to smile today. GUCCI!!!!

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

I've only been to New York once so I've only heard about the spots featured in this video. But, thanks to Hype I feel like I've gone back for a second time! This is a big song and a big video. It's going to be #1 on my list of best songs of 2009. I figured I cut the suspense and just get that out there. IT'S THA ROC!

50 feat. Ne-Yo - Baby By Me

Yay, new 50 Cent music, Yay (in your favorite Crank Yankers voice)!!! Shoutout to Kelly Rowland for taking one for the team. This is definitely no "21 Questions" but it may be, just possibly a little bit better than "Follow My Lead". Can't tell yet.

Popularity - SKYZOO

Overlooked underground (see how I did that) MC, Skyzoo goes retro with his video for "Popularity". It has a Saved By the Bell theme and even sports an Amanda Diva cameo. Sky is pretty cool and he is never at a loss for wordplay. "How popular are you, homey?"

Cormega + AZ = Affirmative Action (Live)

It seems as if SOB's has the best concerts on the planet. There is always something fresh going on there. This was one of the best B-sides of the 90's!! Everyone brought heat and the beat was sick. Only problem was that 'fuzzy math' that Fox Boogie used at the end.

Drake Performs "Successful" at Jay-Z Concert in Toronto

Drake makes a surprise appearance at Jay's show in Toronto to the delight of the crowd. I would have loved to hear "Off That" with an added Drizzy verse, but this will do. It also looks like Drake is getting more comfortable on stage. Now if he could only translate that confidence to his videos I think everything will be good for the man.

Drake Ft. Jay-Z - "Successful " [Live in Toronto] from Ro'Shine on Vimeo.

"Eucibio S. McCoy"

On the morning of 26 October 2009, I lost a great friend of mine that I have come to know within the past 6 months. I know that these things occur daily, but I never seem to be able to adjust well. Today I said my final hello and goodbye to my friend. I ask that you all take a moment and remember my friend. "One life is one life too many and a friend of yours is a friend of all of ours and we all have lost a great person in our lives."

Eucibio S. McCoy.... "Bo".... You will never be forgotten.

SGT Perry

Keri Hilson!

I should be writing a paper right now! I know this isn't that new but it still deserves a post. Good song, great visuals, you can't lose.

ALBUM REVIEW - BLUEPRINT 3 - JAY-Z

I waited exactly one month from the release date to review this album. I wanted it to sink in my mind so I could give an objective review. Also, I figured I'd write the review in the same way that I listen to the album. So no track-by-track review here. I'm just gonna give my thoughts on what I've heard. Here we go:

I remember when "Run This Town" first dropped and everyone was saying that Kanye murdered Jay. That may have been true, but the more I play that song the more I appreciate the Jay verses............When did Jay develop a slight English accent a la Tina Turner? (see "Thank You")..........Every time I hear "Haters" now I think of http://thechopup.blogspot.com/2009/09/im-sorry-taylor.html ..........I thought Timbaland was going to ruin this album, but he actually does his thing............I still wanted to hear Premo on here though............On "Run This Town" did he just say 'I'm in Maison, uh, Martin Margiela?' That isn't going to help calm the rumors that Jay is part of the Illuminati and/or the New World Order..........I hate the first verse on "Young Forever"............."A Star is Born" is crazy because he gives props to a lot of emcees, but I can't tell if he's sneak dissing.........J. Cole rips his verse btw...........I think that "Empire State of Mind" may be my favorite song of the year!!.............The last verse on "Thank You" is bananas............I'm glad Memphis Bleek doesn't pop up on this album.........I'm salty Drake pops up only for a hook.............."As Real As It Gets" has been confirmed as a Jeezy song that Jay took for this album. Makes sense because from the get go it sounded like Young Jeezy featuring Jay-Z...........I like every song on this album............I can put "So Ambitious" on repeat for a late night highway drive from Cincinnati to Atlanta and be content..........Kanye really just said 'pyoom, pyoom, pyoom' on "Haters", huh? WOW...............Jeezy actually does 'say some thangs'.............It's crazy how Jay silences Jim Jones, Game, Dame Dash, Jaz-O, Dehaven, wack rappers, and bloggers without having to go hard on them.........I'm loving the futuristic feel of "Off That"...........The wordplay on "Venus vs. Mars" is sick!...............I'm not a huge fan of the second verse off "Reminder"...............I am a huge fan of the last verse off "On To The Next One". He ripped that one............I've found myself saying "ugh" in regular conversation courtesy of "Death of Auto-Tune".........Every time I hear "Run This Town" now I think of http://thechopup.blogspot.com/2009/09/affions-at-it-again.html ................This is a really, really good album.

I was going to give Blueprint 3 an 8.5 initially. But, then I factored in the impact it seems to have on the fans. People are quoting lines on Facebook, on text messages I receive, and the concert at NKU seems to be a pretty big deal. I give it a 9/10. I can't give it a higher rating than that because then you're getting into Reasonable Doubt and Blueprint territory. Props to Jay on this one.

BBC Online Release

"I'm a nice dude, with some nice dreams.
See these ice cubes, see these Ice Creams?"

I've come to the realization that I will never buy a pair of these. Although I love the shoes, I've been saying I was going to get a pair since like 2004 and have yet to do it. I'll just keep admiring from afar. Unless D Mack will loan me a pair to wear next summer!! These are the BBC Space Beach Laser Gun High Top Shoes (yes, that's the real name) in Indigo. She the rest of the Season 9 line at http://www.bbcicecream.com/store/bbc_index.html.

Courtesy of Skateboard P.

Wiz Khalifa - "I Love My Job" Webisode

I may need to do an Artist Spotlight on this kid.......

My Favorite Verse - J. Cole

I woulda picked one of dem joints off "Lights Please" but I guess his opinion on his music is more important than mine, huh?

Lloyd and Pusha T

Mack is a big Clipse fan, and I think Lloyd is an underrated artist. So without further ado, here is Lloyd's new single featuring Pusha T.

50 Adds to His Acting Resume Part. 1

50 Adds to His Acting Resume Part. 2

Melanie Fiona - It Kills Me

Artist Spotlight alumni Melanie Fiona does her thing with the video for "It Kills Me." I've always liked the song and the video just adds to the delight. The whole funeral scene at the end came out of nowhere and was pretty fresh. Hopefully we will get an album very soon.

Forever - Drake feat. Kanye, Weezy, and Em

Better late than never, right? But, the only real reason to watch this video is to see the LeBron highlights. Too many fireworks and lights. Apologies to all my epileptic friends who may have had an adverse reaction to all the 'stuff' going on.



Courtesy of OnSmash

Babies Love Beyonce

This has been on Facebook for a few days and I just had to post this video. I don't know if it was the music or Beyonce herself that had this baby moving so much. Crazy stuff.

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Boxing + Hip Hop + Budden + DJ Premier

In about 10 years boxing will be obsolete. UFC is coming on strong. And how about they cut this convo short, let Joey and Premo make a classic album, and we can call it a day!

Seventh Seal Artwork (Rakim)

This is both creepy and intriguing at the same time.......

Artist Spotlight - The New Royales

You may not know the group by name, but you definitely know the music. The New Royales is a collective fronted by music producer DJ Khalil. Khalil has produced some of my favorite beats 0f 2009 including "The One" by Slaughterhouse and "Kinda Like a Big Deal" by The Clipse and Kanye West. The group also consists of instrumentalist Chin Injeti, writer Erik Alcock, and singer Liz Rodrigues. They do a great job of fusing different types of music and sounds to create a sound all their own. "Kinda Like a Big Deal" has so much going on it takes a few listens just to catch all the different drops and nuances. This collective is part of a larger feeling out there that genres of music are nothing but labels. Sometimes you cannot classify a sound, a beat, or a vocal. Sometimes music is just music. I'm listening to the song they did with Bishop Lamont entitled "City Lights" and it's bananas!! He's rapping as hard and as gully as you can go. The beat is very hip hop as well. But, when the hook comes on it goes straight rock and could easily be something you would hear on a Daughtry or a Hinder album. "Hit N' Run" is another song they have where you can't really label. Is it rock? Is it pop? I don't know but it's addicting either way. Liz Rodrigues has one of the most chameleon-like voices I've heard in a while. It's reminiscent of some Electronica or Techno music on "Everywhere", but on "The One" it's soooooo rock n' roll! The music that they are putting out now furthers my argument that there is so much good music out there. They have yet to drop an album, but I know it can't be too far away. Dr. Dre has already given them a co-sign so things have to be on the horizon for the group. Check them on MySpace to witness the music first hand!!

My Personal New Royales Soundtrack:

The One - Slaughterhouse (produced by DJ Khalil - video below)
City Lights featuring Bishop Lamont
Kinda Like a Big Deal (produced by DJ Khalil - video below)
Everywhere featuring Self-Scientific
New World Order (video below)

http://www.myspace.com/thenewroyales

Clipse feat Kanye West - Kinda Like A Big Deal from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

OLD SKOOL VIDEO SPOTLITE - Nas - "It Ain't Hard to Tell"

"This rhythmatic explosion, is what your frame of mind has chosen.
I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen.
Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin.
End like Leviathan, it's deep well let me try again." - Nas

This is without a doubt one of my favorite Nasir Jones songs of all-time. I remember when I first saw this video over D Mack's house and I couldn't get it out of my head for weeks. There was something so smooth, yet so hard about the song. I can easily hear Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" sample in the beat now, but I'm not sure I caught it when I was 13 or 14. That smooth, jazzy sample seems to blend perfectly with the realness and passion in Esco's voice. This song wasn't a huge commercial hit, as most singles from Illmatic weren't, but it will always be recognized as a solid rock in the discography of Mr. Jones. I believe "Halftime" was the first official single from Illmatic, but this was really the first time the world got a glimpse of Nas. Wikipedia also states that Nas shot portions of this video on the same stage as the movie "Wild Style" and I obviously didn't catch that tidbit when I first saw the video. Props to Large Professor for producing the track and props to Nasir Jones for making a classic song and album.

I Know A Lot Of People Can Relate!

Tiron "Throwin My Money"

Dude Perfect - Longest Basketball Shot Ever

This doesn't really look fake does it? But, it has to be. I couldn't imagine homeboy one-handing this. Even though these cats are all over You Tube with crazy stuff. You be the judge.

The Boss Gets Robbed

I guess the silver lining would be "any publicity is good publicity." But, this is just not a good look for the C.O., or former C.O., or whatever. Deeper Than Rap in stores now!!!

Affion's At It Again!

Dame Dash's New Project

Blakroc Project from Myrhax on Vimeo.

I like the stuff I've heard from the Black Keys. Add a little Mos Def, this should be interesting.

LL Cool J Murders This Track!

LL showing he still can rap better than a lot of these other cats!

"I'm Sorry Taylor"

Affion Crockett does his Kanye West/Jay-Z impression for this apology to Taylor Swift. I wonder if he will ever get his own show or at least star in one(not counting that Nick Cannon show).

KiD CuDi is a BET Rising Icon

D Mack presented the Wale Rising Icon video earlier this month and now Cudi gets his chance to shine. To keep it 100, I clown BET all the time for the Tom-Foolery that they are so good at showing, but I have to give it up to them for this series. Cudi and Wale are two of my favorite new artists and I'm glad they got the love.



Props to.......BET (I never thought I would say that)

Ghostface - Stapleton Sex (NSFW)

DISCLAIMER: This video probably wouldn't make The Chop Up under normal circumstances. Probably......

But, the Cinematographer went to the same high school as us and we wanted to give props. Keep doing ya thing SC III! And on a side note, isn't Ghostface too old to be making songs like this???? I mean this isn't even really a song. Just talking over a beat. Oh well. I'm going to buy the album just off GP.



Props to OnSmash

It's All In The Details!

This is a nice down jacket from Japanese label, Undercover. The upper part(shoulders) of the jacket is cable knit. Undercover was founded by Jun Takahashi, who recently has taken reigns as the creative director of Nigo's, Bape brand.

Source

Yeah Well, I'm Still Mad!

The tour should be dope though!

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind (Live)

You thought I was going to post that Kanye West fuckery didn't you!! No sir! Ye was gone on the Hen Dogg last nite. In case you fell asleep last night, here is the closing performance from the MTV Music Awards. No stanism, but this was a great performance and a perfect way to end the show. Jay and Alicia both go hard for their city and they know how to do a live show. I still haven't heard how Lil' Mama got onstage, but she needs to take her ass home.



Courtesy of MTV.

The X Factor Audition of Shana Goodhead

Wow, what a last name! If she gets Leona Lewis status, she will just have to go by the moniker Shana. But, Simon has done it before and I think if this girl keeps growing on the show she can do big things. She has a really nice voice.

Excerpt From Michael Jordan's Hall of Fame Speech

We Won.



Courtesy of ESPN and the AP.

Glenn Beck Beats

If this guy can be a talk show host, I can be King of the Universe!

Glenn Beck Beats from wreckandsalvage on Vimeo.

Whitney Houston speaks to Ms. Winfrey

The actual interview will air today. This is a preview. I heard that Whitney album was nothing special but she is at the point now where she is more fun to hear talk than sing.

Queen Latifah & The Roots - Que The Rain (Live)

I think she will be making albums when she is 60! I don't know if I'll buy them...but props to her for reinventing herself and keeping the music coming.

Q Da Rain Jim Fal Live
by yardie4lifever2

Props to Mrworldpremiere.net

Happy Birthday T-Smitty!

Happy Birthday to the Chop Up's own T-Smitty!

wow

Jon Voight is Not an Obama Fan

He actually says in this interview "They're happy with the healthcare they have". It still mind boggles me how the people with health insurance have been saying that everything is fine. HELLO!!!! You have health insurance. No one doesn't want health insurance. We all want, need, and should have it. If so many millions of Americans do not have it, why are you trying to stop them from getting it??? This is not a political issue. This is an issue of life and death. If Jon Voigt gets a heart attack, he will be just fine. If Jo Jo up the block gets the same heart attack, he is going to have to pay a lot of out the pocket dough to get the same care. Come on man. I hope to write more on this once all the smoke clears because this is a huge issue.

The Clipse Meet Some People and Perform

Whenever I hear "Kinda Like a Big Deal" I find myself doing the old head bob. *Continues to bob head*

Clipse In Chicago from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

Playcloths!

New Diddy-Dirty Money "Love Come Down"

In the midst of Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 and the Drake phenomenon Diddy's "Last Train to Paris" has been lost in the shuffle. It should drop late '09 or early '10 and has potential to be interesting. Check out the new joint from the album.

Perseverance

"Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. it's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere."

- Barack Obama

I will admit that I have let past failures and even fear of failure lead into inaction. How many people are victims of this and when do you stop letting fear control your actions?

King B, My Goal Is To Make You A Believer!

RI: Wale
by yardie4lifever2

Wale on BET's "Rising Icons".

Props to 2dopeboyz

Get Ready!

Jay and Rhapsody link up for this interesting commercial for the Blueprint 3.

Drake feat. Trey Songz - SUCCESSFUL

Trey adds a verse. Weezy subtracts a verse. I heard Thank Me Later comes out on Valentine's Day so I'm guessing he is going to have to release at least one more video before then. This whole Drake thing is starting to have BUST written all over it. I think the music on the album is going to be good and I think he will sell respectable numbers, but if he would have struck while the iron was scorching, the impact would have been huge!! I mean Jeremih sold like 60,000 his first week with one song. Drake could have done about 300,000 easy. I'm not sure if this wait is a good thing or a bad thing, but it's not the strategy that I would have used.



Props to Nahright and On Smash

Freeway, Young Chris, and Beanie Sigel - LAST TWO

I think they kill about 50 people on this song. Talk about "Murder, Murder, Kill, Kill"!! Lol, but the song is ill. Looking back on my CD collection, The Roc had some serious posse cuts. Bring back 2001!!!

Jay-Z Interview w/ Bill Maher

In case you missed the show on Friday here is Jay's interview with Bill Maher. It was pretty interesting, but I hoped that they would have talked about Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and The Game. This was more like an interview for people who might not be really familiar with Jay. But, the "Book of Rhymes" was a great gift. It looked like War and Peace!



Props to Dime Wars.

He's still got it

I think Jordan could still give you maybe ten good minutes a night in the NBA. The fadeaway is lethal.

Drake feat. Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, and Eminem - FOREVER

I liked this better when it was a Young Money record. I never thought I would say that given the star power on this joint, but it's the truth. This song sounds rushed and thrown together. The verses are cool, but the record doesn't sound as big as I think these artists may have wanted it to be. After Forever and Swagga Like Us I'm beginning to think that these superstar posse cuts are better ideas than actual products. I mean the energy and cohesiveness isn't the same as songs like "Niggas Done Started Something", "Blackout", or "24 Hours to Live." Those songs were hot because they didn't seem forced and the verses complimented each other. Oh well. I'll still bump this in the ride and enjoy it, but it shoulda been hotter. I mean the original Young Money version had Kid Kid saying "Make a plumber throw his plunger in the air, like 'I Can't Deal With This Shit!'" Classic!

http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/08/26/drake-forever-f-eminem-kanye-west-lil-wayne-prod-boi-1da/

Courtesy of 2 Dope Boyz.

Final Friday's @ A-List Lounge This Weekend

If you're going to be in Dayton this weekend check out the A-List Lounge. The party is being thrown by The Papermates who are FRIENDS OF THE CHOP UP so it should be a good time.

Leaders1354 "Dope Boy Magic" Project Update

The re-up (week #3) from Joeseph Robinson on Vimeo.

So, the project continues for Vic and Joe of Leaders. They are supposed to have a duffel bag boy pushing the tees in front of one of their stores.

Tonight!

Ghostface feat. Raheem DeVaughn - BABY

I think Ghost is taking LL Cool J's spot as the ladies' rapper. Well Drake is taking that spot, but Ghost is coming in a close second. This song is smooth! Tony Starks has an album dropping in September so make sure you are on alert.



Brought to you by OnSmash and the good folks at Nahright.

Am I Too Old 2 Be a Rap Fan???

Interesting article posted over at Unkut.com. Personally I think you are never too old to be a fan of rap music or a fan of any particular artist. Also, I think it's cool to be a Stan as well. The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Aretha Franklin, and plenty other artists have fans in their 60's that will fight to the death over their favorite artists. Why should hip-hop be any different? I'm going to have to do an editorial on this soon because a lot of rap music's original fans are in their 40's! Damn!!

http://www.unkut.com/2009/08/can-a-grown-man-still-be-a-rap-fan

LMFAO - Yes

I have to admit that I've been watching The Real World:Cancun this season. The people on there are, of course, crazy and overly dramatic. But, they have jobs as coordinators for a company called Student City which hosts Spring Break activities for college students. One of the events was a concert by LMFAO. They performed this song live and I, shamefully, liked it. The beat is bananas and the hook is hot. The lyrics....uh not so much. But, these cats have a lot of energy on stage so I can see the appeal.

Ochocinco Can Kick Too!

Chad (Johnson) Ochocinco stepped in for kicker Shayne Graham last week to kick a PAT and kickoff for the Bengals against MY Patriots. I've always been a fan of Chad so I really didn't mind him showcasing his new talent against MY team. It's always cool to see someone in sports step outside their comfort zone and try something different. Also, if you're not watching Hard Knocks on HBO it's not too late. The Bengals are being featured this year and Chad is in rare form in front of the camera............CHILD PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!

Interesting Project.....

Making a brand .... Dope boy fresh from Joeseph Robinson on Vimeo.

How to buy. from Joeseph Robinson on Vimeo.

The guys behind Leaders1354, the sneaker and clothing boutique in Chicago, have a project going on where they are going to try and start a brand off of $80. They plan to flip the money and over and over to create better products. They say it is to show how the fashion and drug game are similar. I think the idea is pretty interesting, and I want to see how it turns out, but I think they have an advantage with already being established. Even though the brand is not called Leaders, people know who it is, so it not like some no name trying to come up. Still it's something to look out for. Check it out on their website, www.leaders1354.com

Jamie Foxx feat. Drake, The-Dream, and Kanye West - DIGITAL GIRL (REMIX)

"No strings attached, your love is so WiFi" - Drake

After taking a spill on stage, releasing a sub-par video, and somehow getting caught with a man's face in his crotch I figured Drake needed some good publicity. He added a really nice verse to a song that I've loved for a while. And the beat change on this remix is SICK!!!!



Props to Nahright and Mrworldpremiere.net

Jay-Z feat. Rihanna and Kanye West - RUN THIS TOWN

Talk about a pleasant surprise to the afternoon.



ON SMASH!!

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Blueprint 3 Tracklisting

YESSIR!! I've heard complaints of too many guest appearances......GTFOH!!!! I'm actually surprised Wale and Melanie Fiona aren't on this joint. I'm anxious to hear that #9.......

Courtesy of Roc4Life and Jay-Z

Hilarious.....But Not If It Was Serious

I saw this over at theindustryshakedown.blogspot.com. I actually know a few people that would be a Caleb(I'm not naming names though).

Interesting.....

At first, I thought "Cry for help?"

Then this hit the scene........

Seems like someone got a little bit of money.

Dope Couture

Projekt Media Interview: Matt // Dope Couture from Dope Couture on Vimeo.

Here is a short video of Dope Couture founder, Matt Fields. It's interesting to see how the brand continues to grow when they started with just five t-shirt designs.

Strikeforce: Gina Carano vs. Cris Cyborg

I'm not a huge MMA fan, but I was kinda anxious to see the outcome of this one. They are going to HAVE to have a rematch soon because of the way it ended. I am also going to need some proof that Cris was born a woman. I mean she is one ruff woman. I still rep for Gina C!

What City Has the Best Lyricists???

This is going to be looked into further at a later date on this site. Because NY should be #1, but Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles will have a great argument for #2-#5. I'm feeling a Top 10 list coming soon............

Run This Town (Preview)

I'm not sure when the video is dropping, but here is a teaser:



.........ON SMASH!

Good Hair - Movie Trailer

Chris Rock will be releasing this new documentary on October 9th. Good Hair takes a look at the phenomenon of black women and hair. There are interviews from Raven-Symone, Salt-n-Pepa, Nia Long, Al Sharpton, and of course......Paul Mooney. This looks really entertaining and I know it will stir up some debate and get some good conversations started. I am really looking forward to see how Chris puts all this together. LMAO at Paul Mooney with the afro!

Magic Johnson's Top 10 Assists

This guy could make a pass from anywhere to anybody. SHOWTIME!!!!



Courtesy of NBA TV.

Roller Babies Interview

Evian is doing it's thing with these damn commercials. We posted the original video a while back and this one is crazy too. Gotta love this stuff.

"I loooove your hat"

Lupe Fiasco, Mickey Factz and the Cool Kids

This video shares random scenes and concert footage of the crew over in Japan. This is a concert I would pay my hard earned $$$ for. All of these cats know how to put on a show. Shout out to Lupe on the Glow in the Dark tour.

Spotted at Nahright.

Mickey Factz, Lupe Fiasco and The Cool kids In Tokyo from GFCnewyork on Vimeo.

Jay-Z Interview with MTV News about the new Rocawear ads

The same guy that brought us Jungle Fever, Do the Right Thing, and Inside Man brings us........an ad for clothes!

Get Back To Rappin!

Forget all the BS, just get back to rappin! I'm losing respect for a lot of people in this rap game.

Nike Hyperize Clip

In the interest of full disclosure 1) I am a HUGE Philly Sixers fan, and 2) I am a HUGE Kevin Durant fan. So a new Nike commercial featuring Durant and the Sixers' Andre Iguodala was bound to catch my eye. Add to that a fun retro Kurtis Blow inspired concept, an assist from the legendary DJ Quik, and the clip comes out very nice. Oh yea the sneakers are kinda fresh too.

Artist Spotlight - Wale

DMV's own Wale (pronounced Wall-A) is now a bonafide rockstar! Actually he's like a rapstar, but you get the idea. Since the release of his third mixtape, 100 Miles and Running, over two years ago he has continuously blessed us with great music. Whether it is the Go-Go inspired "Breakdown", the thoughtful "The Kramer", or the lyrical re-thinking of The Roots instrumental "Work" Wale has always kept it entertaining. Now signed to Mark Ronson's Allido Records and managed by Jay-Z's ROC Nation one can only assume that his career is just now really blossoming. Now I used to question how sick he was on the mic. When I heard 100 Miles and Running I liked it, but mainly because of the beats and because I could tell he was having fun making the music. I wasn't ready to give the kid too many props. Then I heard The Mixtape About Nothing and I could tell that Wale had stepped up his lyrical game. Not to mention all the Seinfeld clips, references, and the totally F'n cool Julia Louis-Dreyfus appearance. That mixtape was one of the best thought out pieces of work I'd heard in a while. Fast forward to earlier this year when I heard that Wale was coming out with a new mixtape with tons of features from other rap artists. I was really anticipating that joint because the idea sounded cool. So after MONTHS of waiting Wale finally dropped Back to the Feature on June 19th featuring artists such as Talib Kweli, J.Cole, Curren$y, Joell Ortiz, Peedi Peedi, Bun B, Big Sean, and Jean Grae. I was very impressed by this effort because all the guests brought something to the table. This wasn't him saying that "I know a lot of people and I'm gonna show off my connects!" It was more of a "Let's get a lot of talented people together and make some dope music!" Wale's debut album, Attention: Deficit should be released on September 22nd of this year. It features his current single "Chillin" featuring Lady Gaga and production by Cool & Dre, Mark Ronson, and Sean C & LV. I'm hoping for some Go-Go inspired tracks because he is really the only dude I know that can flow over a Go-Go beat and still make it sound cool. He has free downloads to all three of his mixtapes via MySpace so check the kid out if you haven't already.

My Personal Wale Soundtrack:

Bonafide
Chillin' featuring Lady Gaga (video below)
The Artistic Integrity
W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. (video below)
Hot Shyt featuring Peedi Peedi, Young Chris, Black Thought, and Tu Phace

http://www.myspace.com/wale
http://www.walemusic.com/

Ron Artest Wants You To Call Him

(832) 260-8192

1. Ron has Twittered his new number. (I haven't called it so I'm not sure if it still works)
2. Ron has a new artist on Tru Warrior called "Chin-Chin" (sp?)
3. Ron is a cool dude.

OLD SKOOL VIDEO SPOTLITE - The Fugees - "Fu-Gee-La"

"Girl bled to death while she was tongue kissing a razor blade" - Wyclef

Okay so every now and then I go through my extensive compact disc collection and try to find something good to play on the way to work. And a lot of times I look to the mid-90's for inspiration. This past Wednesday I popped in The Score and said "Damn!" Lauryn was so ill on the mic and they were all such great producers, I really wonder what would have happened if they never broke up. The group's first effort, Blunted on Reality, was pretty good but it didn't have too many standout tracks outside of "Nappy Heads" and "Vocab." But, they upped the ante with The Score. It was different, it was fresh, it was extremely innovative, and it changed the game for the group. One of the most popular songs from the album was "Fu-Gee-La" and the subsequent video. Everyone will remember L Boogie's "Oooh Laa Laa La" hook and how all three emcees came through hard on the lyrics. Salaam Remi produced this track for the group and he did a marvelous job. I'm not sure where they shot this video, but it looks so authentic and the caper feel was awesome. I think the video did a great job giving fans a glimpse on what exactly The Fugees were all about. I don't think there will ever be another group quite like The Fugees.