LISTEN: Jay Electronica - Exhibit A (Transformations) (Prod. by Just Blaze)

DOWNLOAD Jay Electronica - Exhibit A (Transformations) (MP3)

Just Blaze produced this new Jay Electronica track off of the hilariously titled Fresh Cuts Vol. 3 (Music By Guitar Center Employees).

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

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

NEWS: Saigon Released From Atlantic, Masters In Hand

DOWNLOAD Saigon - Believe It (MP3)

Saigon got released from Atlantic Records. I was wondering what was taking so long for this to get released. Just Blaze also tells us they're walking away with the masters, so maybe it can come out soon elsewhere. The latest single is 'Believe It' and can be streamed in the SDSU player, and downloaded above.

After numerous delayed release dates for his debut album, rapper Saigon has officially departed Atlantic Records, to which he signed in 2004.

Saigon says he's in talks with several major labels as well as a non-traditional music company for his next artist deal. His latest single, "Believe It," was released today (May 21) via TheMegatrondon2.com. Saigon says he has seven viral videos ready to release but was waiting until his contract was resolved.

"I'm not that excited about going to a major label," Saigon says. "They would have to make it so I'm set for the rest of my life. They want too much for the little that they're giving."

"It's not like I didn't want to put out music," he continues. "But Atlantic wanted me to do ringtone songs but they didn't sign me as a ringtone artist."

Saigon adds that he was left "without much support" when the A&R rep who signed him, Kyambo "Hip-Hop" Joshua, left to join Columbia three months afterward.

"They gave me $18,000 to shoot the video for 'Pain In My Life' and I'm seeing Plies get $100,000 and Lupe [Fiasco] get $150,000," he says. "What the f*ck? Those artists are friends of mine, but now I'm happier than I've been in a minute." (Full article here)

VIDEO: NYOIL - The Difference Between N*ggers and Blacks

NYOIL puts out a powerful statement on race and semantics with 'The Difference Between N*ggers and Blacks'. He goes hard over the Just Blaze/Saigon 'Come On Baby' beat and interspersed images from different areas and media.

LISTEN: Q-Tip - Midnight '08 (Prod. by Cool & Dre)

DOWNLOAD Q-Tip - Midnight '08 (Prod. by Cool & Dre) (MP3)

Part of the alcoholic remixes and I feel any moment Rick Ross is about to drop a verse right in the middle of this track.


Previously:
KRS One/DJ Premier - 'Criminal Minded '08' (download)
Common/Just Blaze - 'The Light '08 (It's Love)' (download)

LISTEN: Common - The Light '08 (It's Love) (Prod. by Just Blaze)

DOWNLOAD Common - The Light '08 (It's Love) (Prod. by Just Blaze) (MP3)

I am not a fan of corporate alcohol sponsoring our favorite art form but I do enjoy this Just Blaze produced remake of Common's 'The Light'. More 'Why You Hate The Game' than Public Service Anouncement, this goes more towards the soulful tip.

VIDEO: Rhymefest & Just Blaze In The Studio

Just Blaze and Rhymefest collaborating on 'B-Boy Anthem' at Baseline Studios. Great video. 'Fest is such a mensch.


Props to Fake Shore Drive. Go over to Eskay's to check out a live performance video of the song.

LISTEN: Just Blaze - 1 Degree Of Me ft. The Game, Large Professor, Talib Kweli & Rahzel

DOWNLOAD Just Blaze - 1 Degree Of Me ft. The Game, Large Professor, Talib Kweli & Rahzel (MP3)

I have no idea what this bizarre yet enjoyable Just Blaze track is from, but it features The Game, Large Professor, Talib Kweli and Rahzel over a mellow beat that definitely sounds in the vein of previous Just Blaze/Game collaborations.


Just Blaze @ Radio City Music Hall. More photos here. Props to Moe for the audio.

NEWS: Just Blaze Interview

I hate mentioning brand names on here, but Red Bull's Music Academy posted a really great and long transcription of their Just Blaze interview. Here's a snippet about working on Jay-Z's 'Show Me What You Got'. Read the interview in four parts here: 1, 2, 3, 4.


Just Blaze @ Radio City Music Hall. More here."To me, the funny thing about that record is the Public Enemy, the whole Public Enemy thing wasn’t even intentional. What happened was Jay had the record and he’s in one room and he’s got this hook called ‘Show Me What You Got’. I’m in the other room and I’m messing with the horns from ‘Darkest Light’ which P.E. used for ‘Show ‘Em What Ya Got’ on ‘[It Takes] A Nation of Millions [To Hold Us Back]’. I didn’t know what he was thinking, he didn’t know what I was thinking. So when I walked in the room and he’s sitting there doing the, you know, (sings) “Show me what ya got/Show me what ya got”, and I’m like, “Wait a minute.” I’m in the other room with the horns, so I was like: “Alright this is something that has to be.”

VIDEO: Pete Rock - NY’s Finest EPK

Pete Rock returns with this EPK (electronic press kit) for his upcoming new album NY's Finest. In stores February 26th. Just Blaze, Pharrell, Timbaland, ?uestlove, Kanye West, 9th Wonder, Swizz Beatz and Jim Jones all make appearances.

PHOTOS: SitDownStandUp.com's 2007 In Pictures

I brought my camera to a few really great Hip Hop concerts in 2007 including Clipse @ Columbia University, Rock The Bells featuring Cypress Hill, Wu-Tang Clan, Redman, The Roots and more, Boost Mobile Rock Corps @ Radio City Music Hall featuring Swizz Beatz, Just Blaze, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Hurricane Chris, Yung Joc, Keyshia Cole and more, EPMD, Nas, Jeru Da Damaja @ Roseland Ballroom and more. Click on the shows above specifically for relevant photos. Below there's a slideshow of photos from all of those. More non-Hip Hop photos can be found here. Move your mouse over the top of the picture below to go to the next photo, and move it over the bottom for thumbnails.


Full size photos available @ my flickr page.

NEWS: Saigon Tracklist + Album Done

Just Blaze lets us know that Saigon's album The Greatest Story Never Told has been mastered and is ready for pressing. With some zooming and photoshop help we can deduce the tracklist with sometimes only partial titles. No sign of the 'Come On Baby' remix featuring Jay-Z that I posted a few months ago.


Saigon - Greatest Story Never Told
01. Invitation
02. Come On Baby
03. War
04. Enemies
05. Friends
06. The Truth
07. Clap
08. Preacher
09. It's Alright
10. Believe It
11. Give It To...
12. Do What T...
13. Better Wa....
14. Oh Yeah

NEWS: Freeway Explains Just Blaze Situation

Rhapsody spoke to Freeway and one of the things that came up was the Just Blaze situation and him not having a beat on Free At Last.


R: Why was it so hard to get with Just Blaze for this album?
Freeway: There was a little bit of hostility between managers. I think my manager was a little disrespectful to his manager around the beginning of last year. I don’t really know the particulars, but I know it had to do with some publishing. He apologized, but after that, I tried to get at Just a couple times. I’m not saying he wouldn’t, but he wasn’t in a rush or it wasn’t a priority to him. Just is my man. We lived together for a month in Miami. I felt as though we had a good relationship. I spoke to him earlier this year [about it]. We’re supposed to be past it, but still nothing’s happened.

Free does recognize Just's impact on his career and adds: "Just did a lot of songs on the first album, but he’s so good that he could make it sound like 10 different producers. He was responsible for the “What We Do,” “Rock the Mic” and “Burnin’ Up” -- basically my career. I would go there and he’d have joints ready." Full interview here.

LISTEN: Saigon - The Moral of the Story (Full Mixtape)

DOWNLOAD Saigon - The Moral of the Story (Full Mixtape) (MP3)


Well, Saigon just quit Hip Hop, but here's his new mixtape. I'm digging it.

NEWS: Saigon Quits

Sigh. This would be sad. After catching a lot of flack over a recent drunk interview Saigon is fed up with the music industry and the surrounding fakeness, and he has announced he quits.


No more interviews, no more mixtapes, no nothing....Im not a rapper anymore, Im done.. Im back to being regular me...This shit is too fake for me, I found myself getting caught up in the bullshit but now Ill gladly walk away...SAIGON IS DEAD...I QUIT, Now I have time to focus on my non profit organazation, In Arms Reach/Abandoned Nation, Please if you get the chance, check out Inarmsreach.org and lend your support to the work we do for the children in NYC whose parent(s) are incarcerated, Thank You now I gotta figure out how Im gonna break this to Just Blaze......THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD....hahahahahahaha PROPHECY" Read the full blog.

I understand frustration about all that is fake in today's music industry. There's a lot of exploitation, careless journalism, politics, and other negative stuff, but quitting is letting that side of the business win. Instead I hope Sai reconsiders and decided to only quit the negative side of the industry and just focus on the positive side and make some change happen on his own terms.

VIDEO: Freeway - Still Got Love

This is so my jam right now with it's Just Blaze-esque beat, we know the story there, and it's trademark energetic Freeway flow. Definitely 'Still Got Love'.

NEWS: Saigon Album Pushed Back Again

Sigh, Saigon has announced that the Just Blaze helmed The Greatest Story Never Told has been pushed back from it's most recently announced December 4th release date into the new year.


"It ain't comin out till its ready," Sai told SOHH. "The album's not even done yet. Just Blaze is such a perfectionist, even more so than me. And we keep finding things that can make it better." More here.

VIDEO: Saigon - Come On Baby ft. Saigon

First there was the remix with Jay-Z and now there is a video for Saigon's 'Come On Baby' produced by Just Blaze. Oh featuring Swizz Beatz, I always forget that. It seems about as big a part of the song as Kanye West's adlibs on Jay-Z's 'Roc Boys'. This video is not recommended for those who suffer from epileptics.

LISTEN: Saigon - Come On Baby RMX ft Jay-Z

DOWNLOAD Saigon - Come On Baby RMX ft Jay-Z


Just Blaze comes through and delivers a hot-like-fire remix to Saigon's already amazing 'Come On Baby' with Jay-Z sounding off with some real nice lyrical jewels in there.

LISTEN: Saigon - Saigon Meets Just Blaze

DOWNLOAD Saigon - Saigon Meets Just Blaze (MP3)


I'm like me on Entourage, I'm playin' myself
This is the Saigon track I posted a tagged version of last week. Sans Optimus Prime this time around.