VIDEO: Statik Selektah - Take It To The Top ft. Cassidy, Saigon & Termanology

Statik Selektah feat. Cassidy, Saigon & Termanology - "Take It To The Top" from Three/21 Films on Vimeo.

VIDEO: Donny Goines BARS Ep. 15 ft Remo Da Rapstar

This kids knows not what it is to not work hard. Episode 15.

VIDEO: Donny Goines BARS Ep. 14 ft Panama

VIDEO: The Game & Joe Budden End Beef

Horrendous sound/video quality, but worth posting that Joe Budden and The Game ended their beef on stage in NYC last night by performing 'Pump It Up' together.

LISTEN: Young Jeezy - Put On (Remix) ft. Jay-Z, kanYe West, Ludacris, Chamillionaire, David Banner, Wale & Z-Ro

DOWNLOAD Young Jeezy - Put On (Remix) ft. Jay-Z, kanYe West, Ludacris, Chamillionaire, David Banner, Wale & Z-Ro (MP3)

Wow, big weekend for Kanye West produced posse cut. This one weights in at 12 minutes Game style. The vocal production on this is horrendous and I don't even know what's going on with the beat during Wale's verse. Ludacris destroys most, but I'm still feeling Kanye West's verse more because of the heart.


Props tp SmokeYYY.

LISTEN: T.I. - Swagger Like Us ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Lil' Wayne

DOWNLOAD T.I. - Swagger Like Us ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Lil' Wayne (MP3)

An M.I.A. vocal sample cradles four verses by four of the biggest rappers out there. Kanye West put a little, well...a lot of T-Pain on his vocals and surprisingly delivers the strongest verse of the whole track. Lil' Wayne put even more T-Pain on himself. T.I. finally gets a little lyrical again. And I just had to use this picture. Jigga does Jigga but doesn't really deliver any memorable lines IMHO. But I'm always extra hard on the GOAT. If Weezy would've delivered this verse I would've called it his first great verse probably.

NEWS: Jake One Announces Debut Album

Seattle's own Jake One steps from behind the boards to present his own debut full-length album White Van Music (Rhymesayers) and it has a tracklist like whoa. Jake has produced for De La Soul, 50 Cent and others. Who's got this news first? SDSU.

White Van Music Track List
01. I’m Coming feat. Black Milk & Nottz
02. Gangsta Boy feat. M.O.P.
03. The Truth feat. Freeway & Brother Ali
04. Turn It Down
05. God Like feat. D. Black
06. Bless The Child feat. Little Brother
07. Oh Really feat. Posdnuos & Slug
08. Hi
09. Trap Door feat. MF DOOM
10. Dead Wrong feat. Young Buck
11. Kissin' The Curb feat. Bishop Lamont & Busta Rhymes
12. How We Ride feat. Freeway
13. White Van feat. Alchemist, Evidence & Prodigy
14. Big Homie Style feat. J. Pinder, GMK & Spaceman
15. Scared feat. Blueprint
16. Great Sound
17. Get 'Er Done feat. MF DOOM
18. Feelin' My Shit feat. Casual
19. Soil Raps feat. Keak Da Sneak
20. Glow feat. eLZhi & Royce Da 5'9"
21. R.I.P.
22. Home feat. Vitamin D, C Note, Maine & Ish

Jake One Talks About The State Of Hip Hop

NEWS: Duck Down Signs B-Real

Ah Cypress Hill, one of my top favorite groups from back in the day.

In a continuing effort to expand their talented roster of artists, Duck Down Records has just announced a new album deal with B-Real, of Cypress Hill for his first solo album debut, 'Smoke N Mirrors' in stores January 27th, 2009.

The album will feature Snoop Dogg, Damian Marley, Buckshot, Sean Price, Sen Dog and production by DJ Quik, Fredwreck, Scoop Deville, and others.


B-Real @ Rock The Bells 2007. More photos here.

VIDEO: Donny Goines BARS Ep. 11 ft. Phase One

LISTEN: Black ELement - Confirmation

DOWNLOAD Black ELement - Confirmation (MP3)

Produced by 6th Sense and dopely so.

VIDEO: Skillz Shares Some Fascinating Industry Insight

Must watch for those interested in the music industry as a business and Hip Hop as an enterprise. Skillz isn't just a dope rapper, he's also a great speaker as it turns out.

VIDEO: 9th Wonder & Murs Discuss Pt 2

VIDEO: GZA Speaks On Pro-Tools

LISTEN: John Legend - Green Light (MSTRKFT Remix) ft. Andre 3000

DOWNLOAD John Legend - Green Light (MSTRKFT Remix) ft Andre 3000 (MP3)

Electro artists MSTRKFT remix John Legend's 'Green Light'. 3 Stacks appearance kind of gets lost in the shuffle, but check out the original mp3 for your Andre fix.

VIDEO: Donny Goines BARS Ep. 10 ft. AC

LISTEN: Ice Cube - I Got My Locs On Ft Young Jeezy

DOWNLOAD Ice Cube - I Got My Locs On Ft Young Jeezy (MP3)

One of my top 3 favorite rappers from childhood, Ice Cube, joins forces with a rapper I didn't start appreciating until recently, Young Jeezy. Cube's first verse sounds like it was ghost written by Rick Ross, but we know Cube doesn't like cops so that's definitely not the case.

Props to Eskay for the MP3.

VIDEO: Large Professor Interview

Large Pro speaks on his upcoming album Main Source.

NEWS: Chris Lighty To Obama: Don't Lower Yourself To Speak To Rappers

Chris Lighty makes a few interesting points in this open letter to Barack Obama.

Don't lower yourself to speak to rappers! Just because you are African-American, don't allow the press to make you step down from the plate of being one of the most powerful men in the world to address a comment from a rapper, no matter how great he or she is. If the Dixie Chicks stand up and attack McCain, the press already knows it's almost worthless to ask him about it. He wouldn't have a clue who they are and, in the end, and he wouldn't care about what they said because he is applying for the job of the most powerful man in the world. He knows it's politics as usual. (Read the full article here)

Via DS

VIDEO: Murs & 9th Wonder Going Back And Forth Pt. 1

The homies Murs and 9th Wonder go back and forth joking around and talking about Murs For President. Hilarious one-liners all around including an innocent Little Brother dig.

VIDEO: Rhymefest - Stolen

Rhymefest delivers some powerfully conscious lyrics over the No ID produced 'Stolen', which lingers until it ends in a tensed unexpected trail-off. Off of El Che. Can we get a remix with Common please?



Update: posted official youtube version per director's request.

LISTEN: Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh) (Prod. by Kanye West)

DOWNLOAD Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh) (Prod. by Kanye West) (MP3)

Jay-Z takes the opportunity to shoot a little line or two at Oasis' Noel Gallagher over this Kanye West producing first track off of Blueprint 3. That bloke from Oasis said I can’t play guitar/Somebody should've told him I’m a f*cking Roc star/Today is gonna be the day I'm gonna throw it back to you.

Noel for his part recently said: I wasn’t saying I was better than Jay-Z as a person or rock was greater than hip-hop as a thing or whatever it is.“I said what I said, and it was wrong, or it was taken wrong, and now all this. For my own part I can sit here and say I never dissed that guy. I never would. But there’s no point in going on about it, because you end up sounding like Heather Mills: ‘I said this! I meant that!’ I’ll have a beer with him one day and it’ll all be fine. (Source: XXL) Below the video of Kanye and Jigga debuting the track live at MSG.

VIDEO: Clipse: The Road To Success (Part 2)

LISTEN: Novel - Lost (Remix) ft Coldplay

DOWNLOAD Novel - Lost (Remix) ft Coldplay (MP3)

Even if you can't afford Chris Martin on your hook and aren't chummy with Gwynneth, Novel proves even underground MC's can have a song with Coldplay.

LISTEN: The Game - Superman (Prod. by Just Blaze)

DOWNLOAD The Game - Superman (Prod. by Just Blaze) (MP3)

VIDEO: Pittbul - American War

"Its unfortunate that I have to cut a record telling the truth, at least in my opinion, about my own country and the corrupt ways it is being ran. However, on that note I want to let all the soldiers representing our country know, thank you for protecting us and may God bless you all." - Pitbull

VIDEO: Donny Goines BARS UMA Edition ft. Sic Osyrus

VIDEO: Jay-Z - Jockin' Jay-Z ft. Kanye West (Live @ MSG)

Kanye West devised a dope throwback beat for Jay-Z in the vein of 'Blue Magic'. Supposedly off of Jigga's upcoming Blueprint 3. Damn, that brings my expectation level way up.

LISTEN: Large Professor - Hot: Sizzling, Scorching, Torching, Blazing

DOWNLOADING Large Professor - Hot: Sizzling, Scorching, Torching, Blazing (MP3)

Off of the upcoming album Main Source.

Picture by D-Nice.

LISTEN: DJ Muggs & Planet Asia - That's What It Is

DOWNLOAD DJ Muggs & Planet Asia - That's What It Is (MP3)

Off of Pain Language.

LISTEN: Heltah Skeltah - Everything is Heltah Skeltah

DOWNLOAD Heltah Skeltah - Everything is Heltah Skeltah (MP3)

Illmind samples classical music, 'Fur Elise' to be exact, on the lead single to the new Heltah Skeltah album I just wrote about. Nice Charles Manson reference too ha.

VIDEO: NyelLee - OverTakes Me

Hipster rap pt. 15. This looks like quite the party and contains more drug use and scandly clad girls and guys that most Hip Hop videos. NyelLee raps over a Flaming Lips track, who he refers to as 'old-ass British rockers', even though they're from Oklahoma. Oh, these 90's babies.

NEWS: Heltah Skeltah's "D.I.R.T." Tracklist

Heltah Skeltah are releasing their new album D.I.R.T., which stands for 'da incredible rap team', Sept. 30th on Duck Down.

For Heltah Skeltah fans, and hardcore Hip Hop enthusiasts, the new "D.I.R.T." album will serve as a breath of fresh air. With production from Khrysis, Marco Polo, Evidence, ILL MIND, Black Milk, Sic Beats, and more, as well as guest appearances from fellow Duck Down artists, Buckshot, Smif N Wessun, Ruste Juxx, and The Representativz, Ruck and Rock stuck to their proven formula and sound. Sean Price states: "We didn't try and get cute with this album and pick some 'out da box' beats and get on some philosophy sh*t. We did what we knew best and that was rhyme about the street, while of course infusing the humor that you know you're going to get when you listen to our rhymes."

Heltah Skeltah - D.I.R.T. Tracklist

1.) Intro
2.) Insane (Produced by Marco Polo)
3.) Chipmunk 3000 (Produced by Fatim)
4.) Everything Is Heltah Skeltah (Produced by ILL MIND)
5.) D.I.R.T. (Another Boot Camp Clik Yeah Song) (Produced by Khrysis)
6.) So Damn Tough f/Buckshot and Ruste Juxx (Produced by ILL MIND)
7.) WMD f/Smif N Wessun (Produced by M-Phazes)
8.) That’s Incredible (Produced by EZ Mo Bee)
9.) Ape Muzik f/ The Representativz (Produced by Stu Bangas)
10.) The Art of Disrespekanization (Produced by Khrysis)
11.) Hellz Kitchen (Produced by Evidence)
12.) Shmack Muzik (Produced by Sic Beats)
13.) Twinz (Produced by Ken Ring)
14.) Ruck N Roll (Produced by Stu Bangas)

VIDEO: A Tribe Called Quest @ Rock The Bells

VIDEO: Jay Smooth Comments On Obama/Ludacris

Jay Smooth vlogging game is always on point, but this little nugget of observation and commentary may be my favorite.

VIDEO: Nas & Jay-Z - Success/Black Republicans (Live)

Nas brings out Jay-Z at this weekends Rock The Bells concert.

LISTEN: GZA - 0% Finance

DOWNLOAD GZA - 0% Finance (MP3)

SDSU has it first. This one didn't make it onto Pro Tools due to sampling clearance issues.

NEWS: Atmosphere Tour Dates

Following up their sold out When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint Your City Gold Tour, Atmosphere just announced their upcoming Paint The Nation Tour, 50 dates starting on September 10, featuring DJ Rare Groove and Rhymesayers label mates Abstract Rude and Blueprint. Fan presale starts August 6th over at ducatking.com. Info first on SDSU.

PAINT THE NATION TOUR Dates
09.10- Fargo, ND @ The Venue
09.11- Sioux Falls, SD @ Sioux Empire Expo Center
09.12- Omaha,NE @ Slowdown
09.13- Red Rocks, CO @ Monolifth Festival *
09.15- Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
09.16- Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theater
09.18- Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
09.19- Sacramento, CA @ Empire
09.20- San Diego, CA @ Street Scene*
09.21- Bakersfield, CA @ The Dome
09.22- Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
09.25- Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
09.26- Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
09.27- Phoenix, AZ @ Edge Fest*
09.28- Tucson, AZ KFMA Fall Ball*
09.30- Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10.01- New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's
10.02- Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
10.03- Orlando, FL @ Firestone
10.06- Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
10.07- Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel
10.08- Richmond, VA @ Toad's Place
10.10- Baltimore, MD @ Ram Head's Live
10.11- New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
* Atmosphere Only