That is DJ Khalil by the way if you didn't know. Look at him boasting about not sampling. Secret shots taking at 9th Wonder and Just Blaze? (Joking.)
But hot beat but sounds good hopefully it will be better than his Hip Hop is Dead which was pretty solid to me.
NIGGER is supposed to drop April 22, 2008

Projected Album Cover


Best one I seen since Illmatic from him.
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The best to ever do it...
Redman look different as shit in this video.
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I would have prefer a video for "Party Life"
U know...
"I wear fly shit I should win a Espy= Jay and Lebron fresh with the tailor made suits
"She's my little quarterback ya dig? Cuz I'm all that in the sack ya dig= SURPRISE APPEARANCE BY MICHEAL VICK...

Just some suggestions...
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Produced By DJ Static




http://www.zshare.net/audio/79717881f2e9a7/
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Well to make a long story short Snoop Dogg openly admits in the new XXL that he does not write his raps anymore this also goes for "Sexual Seduction." So don't blame him for his bad music for the past 10 years. Read on to see the proof.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:

“Sensual Seduction” took people by surprise. Why release what’s basically an R&B record as your first single?
There was no strategy. My boy Shawty Redd wrote the song, and once I sent it back, he started playing it in the clubs in Atlanta. He’s like, “This muthafucka is a big record.” When I played it for my peoples, they didn’t feel it at first—not my immediate people, my record-label people. They were like, “Eh.” I was like, “Fuck what y’all talking about, I’m putting this shit out. This is some fly shit. It’s my career, anyway.

Your label does have a lot of money invested in you.
I don’t give a fuck if they have money invested in me. It’s me that makes them have money to be invested in me. I’m the only thing going over there. Well, I’m the best thing going over there. I’ll say it like that. It’s no disrespect. It is what it is. You don’t get what you get out of a regular artist what you get out of Snoop Dogg. You getting everything. You getting cool, you getting funny, you getting gangster, you getting pop, you getting streets, you getting Whites, you getting Blacks, you getting old, young. You get all that with Snoop Dogg. Them artists that they got only got one genre of fans. You can’t spread them out all over the table like me. I’m the only muthafucka that can do porno, coach football and have a cooking show.

Back to the album. Initially, there weren’t supposed to be any guest artists on Ego Trippin’. Why the switch?
It just happened. That might be me ego-tripping. The real ego-tripping on this record is that I let people write songs for me.

Singing songs? Rapping songs?
Everything.

Have you run out of things to say yourself?
Nah. I’m ego-tripping. I was watching Diana Ross getting inducted into a Hall of Fame, and she got up there and named all these great songwriters. Her biggest songs were written by somebody else. So I’m thinking, Wow, there’s nothing wrong with my pen, but I’m going to let other people write for me.

So making music is easier now. But are you a better rapper now, or back in 1993?
I was probably a little doper back then, because I was more into rapping. Right now, I’m into creating a lot of shit. Back then, I was just into rap—the style, the flow, fucking you up, the baddest muthafucka, the coldest vocalist. Now I’m not into that. I can sit back and take a backseat and watch them do a Top 10 hottest rappers right now, and my name ain’t in there, and it don’t bother me.

Yeah, so in the end don't buy another Snoop album, unless you just want to hear another person's thoughts come out his mouth.

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http://sharebee.com/d7989df0
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/78721579ecc502/
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Im late on reporting this but Will.I.Am is going to be in the new wolverine movie as John Wraith. This could possibly be a ill movie soundtrack. I guess i could mention that John Wraith is a black teleporter, more here

I guess Will.I.Am could pull him off
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/778659507380cd/




crazy ill
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Im probably a late on this and you may have seen it before. Regardless, not only do I like this video more than Kanye's "preview" of his music video for Flashing Lights, I honestly like this song better. Great Job!, Colin.




You can download the song from his myspace http://www.myspace.com/colinmunroe
Hopefully this wont be the last we here from here
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Rock meets hip hop....again


The State of Mainstream forever!!!

"I only knew how to make I got a lot of jewelry and I fuck your girl sound cool."-Kanye West


My favorite freestyler...Fuck Cassidy, Jin, J.R. Writer, and any other battle rappers you can think of because it is all written.


Biggie's Last Freestyle

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1. How We Met
2. I Can't Love Her Anymore
3.Who is That
4. I Won't Tell
5. I Want to Love Her (Come Around) feat. Percy Miracles
6. I Wish it Would Rain feat. Eric Clapton
7. Changed Man
8. Only Girl
9. Be With You
10. Let's Get Closer
11. We Can Do It
12. Happy Valentines Day feat. Andre Benjamin

download
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I'm about to start my controversial blog, Rap, The New Slave Master, but before that comes. here is a good read from an articulate dude name Brian Sims. I know it's long, but its a great read. So click that read more button now! If you’re like me you’ve had 101 arguments about hip hop with 1001 different people. Arguments are inevitable once questions like “Who’d be the best rapper if B.I.G. were still here?” and “What the heck was Nas thinking with Nastrodamus?” come up.

Undoubtedly, the most pervasive question in Hip Hop, the one that has been around since its earliest days, is: what is the difference between “mainstream” and “underground” rap music?

Of course, these are two terms that every rap fan has in their vocabulary; but I’d bet you a value-meal that most people don’t have a solid understanding of what the terms mean, much less the difference between them. Most casual hip hop fans would probably say something like the following:

Mainstream rap music sells; underground rap music doesn’t.
Seems plausible. Certainly, mainstream artists like those on the cover of XXL and Ozone Magazine sell more units than the “underground” artists that line their pages, right?

Not so fast.

Using that definition, it would be difficult to classify artists like Lupe Fiasco, whose “underground” career bears a strong resemblance to his post Food & Liquor “mainstream” career. And how about Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, and the long list of artists who have had sales success; yet never come close to mainstream acceptance?
It seems then, that there is more to the mainstream/underground distinction than just dollars. Perhaps being “mainstream” has to do with one’s message. After all, there is the Common misconception (pun-intended) that underground artists “keep it real” and refuse to sell-out. Somehow, underground artists tend to be perceived generally as deeper, more skilled and more authentic than rappers on TRL. Even artists themselves sometimes espouse this idea, as does Jay-Z on The Black Album:
"If skills sold, truth be told, I’d probably be, lyrically Talib Kweli. Truthfully, I wanna rhyme like Common Sense (but I did 5 mil); I ain’t been rhymin' like Common since." - "Moment of Clarity"

But this, too is an over-simplification. There are plenty of examples of brilliant albums (and artists) that are as mainstream as it gets; and just as many examples of underground rap music that is just plain trash.

What is needed, then, is a more precise measure of what constitutes “mainstream”. So, I decided to ask the question: just how mainstream is mainstream Hip Hop?
To answer it, I chose two major indicators of mainstream American culture: 1) celebrity rankings, and 2) Nielsen Soundscan figures.

Celebrity Ranking
We live in a society where Jamie Lynn Spears, Anna Nicole Smith, David Beckham and Kim Kardashian are more recognizable names than Ben Bernanke, Julian Bond, Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Ted Turner. Celebrities dominate more than the nightly news; they dominate our national conciousness.

Therefore, one indicator of just how mainstream Hip Hop is is a look at how celebrities from the world of Hip Hop compare to other celebrities in terms of popularity. Recently the folks at MSN (the folks that bring you Windows Live) created a celebrity ranking system that works by comparing the number of online searches for Hollywood figures, radio personalities, fashionista, athletes, politicians, and the like. Users can then view rankings that show each celebrity’s popularity status relative to other celebrities.
The results may surprise you.
As of this writing:
• Britney Spears is ranked #1.
• Only one rapper (Lil Wayne, #9) made the Top 10.
• Akon (#17) is more popular than Oprah Winfrey (#30).
• Michael Jackson is one spot above Janet Jackson (#49 & #50 respectively)
Overall, within the top 100 there are 20 celebrities associated with Hip Hop and/or R&B (including Vida Guerra but excluding Kid Rock). That means that only approximately 20% of society’s star power is attributable to Hip Hop.

Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen Soundscan is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (on-line stores, venues, etc) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. Nielsen Soundscan clients include all major and most independent record companies, distribution companies, artist managers, booking agents, concert promoters, venue owners, traditional retailers, online retailers and digital delivery companies. Soundscan began tracking sales data for Billboard on March 1, 1991. MTV, Vh1, CMT and all major media regularly use Nielsen Soundscan data as well.

According to the Recording Industry of America (RIAA), the list of the Top Ten best selling albums since 1991 does not include a single Hip Hop release. Its list of top selling artists has 15 artists ahead of Mariah Carey (at 61.5 million copies sold). Tupac Shakur is the first pure Hip Hop entry, at #43 with 36.5 million copies sold, followed by R. Kelly at #48 with 33 million. Eminem is #69 with 27 million, Jay-Z is #75 with 26 million, and the Beastie Boys round out the top 100 with 22 million.
That’s seven out of 100, and two of those (Mariah and the Beastie Boys) have catalogs that are mostly non-rap.

Therefore, it would seem that mainstream Hip Hop perhaps isn’t so mainstream after all. Based on these two indicators, it could be argued that although Hip Hop is in the main stream of America’s conciousness, it certainly isn’t a major contributor. Mainstream Hip Hop isn’t mainstream because of its influence on America; its mainstream because of America’s influence on it.

I Don’t Buy It

From this perspective, underground hip hop now seems even further below mainstream Hip Hop than it did before! This is why I’d argue that the only real distinction between mainstream and underground Hip Hop is in the mind of the listener. After all, rap music is art, and therefore subject to interpretation by those that encounter it. The American way of life is predicated upon capitalism (indeed I’m writing this article for a check) and as a result much of our mindset is based on consumerism.

We perceive a tremendous difference between 50 Cent and Mos Def (despite their striking similarities) because one is more prone to consumerism than the other. Some Hip Hop music is more easily packaged and sold because it resonates with the American ethos of the almighty dollar. Some, not so much. To the degree that it fits that bill, we call it mainstream. That is the only difference: not quality, not message, and not profundity; but perception. Get Your Mind Right: It is mainstream if it can be commercialized (and it all is being commercialized). Period.
The brilliant artist and thinker Andy Warhol once said: “Why do people think artists are special? It's just another job.”
As far as Hip Hop goes, I’d have to agree.
Endorsement Deals

If Hip Hop was born in the late 1970s, then it hit the block selling when it was only seven years old. In 1986, rap icons Run-DMC (guided by the Geppetto of Hip Hop himself, Russell Simmons) made “My Adidas” a song about, well Adidas. The brand actually was the natural sneaker choice of the group, and the song quickly became a hit. Legend has it that during a tour stop on their Raising Hell Tour in Madison Square Garden, (Rev) Run cut the music and commanded everyone to take off a shoe and put it in the air.

Question: Why would anyone do that? Answer: Because Adidas reps were in the building (invited by Simmons), and Russell wanted them to literally see how powerful product-placement in rap songs could be. A sold-out arena obliged, raising thousands of brand-new shell-toes into the air; raising with them the awareness in corporate circles that Hip Hop had tremendous unbridled marketing potential. According to The Village Voice, Run-D.M.C. received $1.5 million dollars to endorse Adidas.
That was a little over two decades ago. In that time rappers have gone from relatively subtle mentions of products in their songs to blatant harping on them. And, like the true ballers in the NBA and NFL, they are cashing in. Here are some notable examples:
-In 2002 Reebok signed Jay-Z to design and endorse his own signature shoe. The launch of the "S. Carter Collection" in June 2003 was telling: The shoes sold completely out in three days.
-In 2003, on the heels of his mega-hit “Air-Force One’s” Nike and Nelly agreed on a one-year endorsement deal to release a limited-edition sneaker called the "Air Derrty." Nelly would later go on to sign another endorsement deal with Reebok.
-In 2004, Bad Boy & Sean John CEO Diddy did an endorsement deal with Guthy-Renker, makers of Proactiv Solution. In 2007, he inked a multi-year deal to develop Ciroc vodka.
-In 2005 rap star Xzibit signed an endorsement deal with athletic footwear manufacturer Dada to produce shoes. The line was named "Pimp Your Kicks," alluding to Xzibit's role as host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride.
-In March 2006 Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Mike Jones and Daddy Yankee made their debuts as the new faces of Reebok. The artists signed deals with the company and appeared in Reebok ads. They also introduced co-branded footwear and, in some cases, apparel lines.
-Just last year Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes was signed by Pepsi to design a custom Pepsi can as part of the company’s “Design Our Can” promo-campaign.
- In 2006 Jay-Z signed on with Anheuser-Busch as an official rep for Budweiser Select. (Ironically, Jay’s first commercial ever was for Heineken in 2003 after the release of the Blueprint 2.1.)

Commercials
One of the more interesting aspects of American life is the fact that we actually like watching commercials. Television commercials are, of course, the reason why network television shows exist. On some level though, one has to respect the pure marketing genius that creates the illusion that you are watching Law & Order: SVU with commercial interruptions; as opposed to watching commercials interrupted by detectives Benson and Stabler.

Hip Hop has certainly made its mark on television commercials; here are a couple of my personal favorites, in no particular order.
Boost Mobile ad, starring Kanye, Ludacris, and The Game (2006)
Kanye, Luda, and Game kick verses to each other over their Boost Mobile phones. Game is in L.A., Luda is in the A and Kanye is in the Chi; but the result is a pretty decent soundtrack. In fact, it’s better than most of the stuff I hear on the radio these days. Brilliant.

Pepsi gas station ad, starring Beyonce (2003)
This one shows Beyonce walking up to a gas station attendant to ask for directions. As the guy looks up at her with her hair flowing all around her he's unable to do more than squeak in response; which she of course understands perfectly. After all she is Beyonce.

Diet Pepsi Max's "Nod" commercial starring Missy Elliott, LL Cool J, Busta Rhymes and Macy Gray (2008)
An extended parody of the Night at the Roxbury head-nod phenomenon, in which the whole world goes from nodding-off with boredom to nodding in rhythm, thanks to Diet Pepsi Max. Definitely some over-acting in this one, but still a winner.

Pepsi cool cans promotion, starring Young MC (1989)
Young MC dropped some truly classic ish like: Cool cans are coming so don’t be afraid/ If you get lucky then you might get paid. And To be cool and somewhat respectable/ pick up Pepsi in these hype receptacles. And I’ll bet you don’t remember those Taco Bell commercials… I’m Young MC with a story to tell/ I just got a free cup from Taco Bell. Classic.
Gap peace love Gap campaign, starring Common (2006)
Horrible commercial, but it’s on my favorite list because of its irony.
"I might've failed to mention that this chick was creative/ But once the man got to her he altered her native/ Told her if she got an image and a gimmick/ that she could make money, and she did it like a dummy/ Now I see her in commercials, she's universal
She used to only swing it with the inner-city circle..."
- Common Sense, "I Used to Love H.E.R."

Self-Promotion
In the final analysis, the inherent commercialism in hip hop has created a world in which artists must be as marketable as they are talented. Artists now have to “brand” themselves in order to be commercially successful. Again, some of my favorites:
"Yeahhhh"- Lil Jon
"What!?!" - Lil Jon
"Okay!" - Lil Jon
"We The Best!" - DJ Khaled
"It’s Ya Boy!" - Jay-Z
"O K-K-K" …- Lil Scrappy
"G-g-g-g Unit!" - 50 Cent
"Dipset, Dipset, Dipset…" - The Diplomats
"Crack!" - Fat Joe
"We all we got!" - Nelly

Not only does Hip Hop advertise for corporate America, mainstream hip hop operates like corporate America. And no wonder…now you’re average rapper with a record deal is selling more than just records. “Artists” will continue to peddle alcohol, automobiles, sneakers, technology, vitamin water, and whatever else they can, all in the name of Hip Hop. But Get Your Mind Right: Hip Hop (to those that know) is much more than marketing campaigns and dollar signs.

THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING TO MY BLOG. GET READY IT'S GONNA BE A DOOZIE. YES I SAID IT, DOOZIE!

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Album Artist: PCO

Album: Elevator Music

Release Date: 10/17/07


Track Listing:
(ALL tracks produced by Emperor Bohe)
1. Poltergiest
2. Battle
3. Pondering
4. Crono
5. Wise Choice
6. Vice Versa
7. Self Titled ft. Blackwater
8. Vertical
9. Mental Vision
10. Dream Chaser pt 2
11. Elevation
12. If You Don't Mind
13. Exactly (Pancakes)
14. She's Gone
15. Long Time Coming

From 21 year old rapper PCO, comes the album "Elevator Music." With solid production from Toronto producer Emperor Bohe, comes a fantastic album. With tracks that have laid-back (hence the album name) beats to the smooth semi-monotonous flow of PCO, Elevator Music will leave no hip hop head/backpacker disappointed.



Lyrics - 9

PCO's voice is like that of an angel. An angel that freestyles in the rain with his nose runny like its childs play. His flow is like that of water, and his voice is very gentle and relaxing. He even slips in references to some underground rappers in his songs, that with a good ear one can catch, and do nothing but smile.

Production - 9

Emperor Bohe has stumbled onto what should be his career. All the beats from Elevator Music have a laid-back, relaxed feel to them. This is an album you can fall asleep to if you wish. Unfortunately, This writer personally didn't like the beat for Exactly (pancakes). It kind of drew away from the whole "elevator music" motif of the album.

Song Concepts - 8

PCO's songs range from heartbreak and finding love, to viewing the perfect world in your own mind/eyes. Unfortunately as with most albums, these topics have been covered, and PCO doesnt mix it up. I will give him credit though, not many artists can have all of their music have a positive message and not have any swearing.

Stand out tracks:

Mental Vision: Straight from the artist's mouth, Mental Vision is "about how I see the world, with all the problems, ills and calamities in the world today. The hook however is about how we have the potential for good, and we can visualize a better place together in our minds. Hence the name, Mental Vision."

She's Gone: Once again, straight from the artist's mouth. She's Gone is " about two things. The first verse is about a girl I met over the summer, who was perfect for me, but had to leave to go back to school. She was real to me, all the other girls I met just bullshited with me. I let her go, because I knew her education was more important than I am, and if the love was real she would come back to me. Now she's my girlfriend. The second verse is about my grandmother. I only knew one grandparent in my life, and she truly loved me and I loved her. She died, and I felt so terrible. She lived in TN, and I live in CA, and I couldve called her and wrote to her more to show my affection for her. But I didnt. Also, when she died, she was the only person that I never cried for, and I dont know why. It makes me think, do I really know what emotions are?"

Powerful stuff from PCO himself.

Overall - 9/10

This is an amazing album from an artist who isnt signed, and a producer with no recognition. The laid-back relaxing beats of Bohe and delivery of PCO may put those who are more inclined to gangsta rap to sleep, but for everyone from the causal listener to the hardcore underground/backpack fan, this album is a must listen. To find out more about PCO, visit his myspace at myspace.com/pcorvc. For Bohe's myspace, surf on over to myspace.com/emperorbohe.

Peace,

The ILLest Villain


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Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


If you don't know who Nicolay is a producer from the Netherlands that produces some of the best tracks you will hear for a long time (See Connected by Foreign Exchange) and Kay is part of the Foundation.
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/7295285982100e/
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/736433260d1549/
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Kool G. Rap
Craig G
MC Lyte
Buckshot
Kool Keith
A Tribe Called Quest
Little Brother
A+
Jeru
The Liks
The Artifacts
AZ
Bad Seed
Bahamadia
Da Brat
Goodie Mob
Black Moon
Methodman
E-40
Canibus
Afu Ra
Cappadonna
Channel Live
Cocoa Brovaz
Freddie Foxxx
GZA
El-P
D.O.C.
Diamond D
dead prez
De La Soul
MF Doom
Camp Lo
Geto Boys
Brand Nubian
Boot Camp Clik
KRS One
Black Sheep
Raekwon
4th Avenue Jones
Heather B
Jayo Felony
Killah Priest
Lil Cease
McGruff
Mic Geronimo
Monie Love
Mos Def
Ice Cube
Hieroglyphics
Inspectah Deck
Jean Grae
Nate Dogg
O.C.
Onyx



These artist are blacklisted from bet for being to smart.
If they put out a song thats getting alot of radio play, it will get played for the time being.
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It's easy to listen to
It's real
It's HOT
Nuff said
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/73234540abcfa2/


Joell Ortiz paying Tribute

http://www.zshare.net/audio/51711644fcd700/
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The Knux are a self-produced group comprised of two brothers (Krispy and Al Millio) from New Orleans. They play all their own instrumentation and fight like The Kinks. Their debut album, Remind Me In 3 Days, sounds like Outkast, Juvenile, Tha Pharcyde, and The Strokes concurrently blasting, out of a drop-top Jag on Sunset Blvd. on a Saturday night in the summer. Wrap your head around that!!???

More after the JUMP-->>

“When we made the album we refused to give the album to the label one song at a time,” says Krispy, who at 25 is the elder Knux brother. “We knew that they wouldn't get it, they’d think we were buggin’ and they’d try to make us change things.” Instead, the two, who signed to Interscope in 2006 thanks to an incredible demo and manager Paul Rosenberg (Eminem's manager) holed up in a mini-mansion in the Hollywood Hills and quietly chefed up Remind Me In 3 Days…. “We played it for all the executives at once,” remembers Al, “And you could see in their faces they were all shocked to hear something like this from some new artists that they barely even knew were on the label.”



Just as their recording came to a standstill the Knux were met with great misfortune: Hurricane Katrina. “We never evacuated when the hurricanes hit,” says Krispy, “But for whatever reason when Katrina hit we left with our mom to go to Dallas for the weekend. When we were driving back to New Orleans on the Monday all the cars were going the other direction. The radio wasn’t working, so we had no idea about the flood ‘til someone flagged us down and told us that we weren’t gonna’ be allowed into the city.” After a week of the entire family sleeping in their car, they relocated to Houston and found an apartment. “Man, we lost everything, our whole apartment building burned to the ground, says Krispy. “So we were grateful that everyone was okay, but we weren’t happy to be in Houston.”



Fortunately things looked up for the group when their demo fell into the hands of Paul Rosenberg’s A&R man Dart Parker, who brought the group to his attention. Over the next months Rosenberg signed on as their manager. “We weren’t doing anything in Houston,” says Krispy. “Because of Katrina and how unhappy we were in that city we weren’t inspired to make anything new. So the whole thing with Paul was a blessing.”



By the fall of 2006 the brothers had moved to the Hollywood Hills and begun the recording process. “Once we got out to L.A. there was just such a different vibe,” explains Al, “And we were going to all the downtown clubs with fuckin’ socialite girls and, like, the so-called hipsters, and guys like Steve Aoki. It was a totally different scene from what we were used to in New Orleans and the music we started making just reflected that.” The two wrapped the album during the summer of ’07 and hit the road hard. “We started by just inviting people over for house parties and performing the album on top of our couch,” says Al, “That’s how we knew what worked and what didn’t.” After a string of successful events at L.A. cool-guy emporiums the two got added as the opening act of Common’s Finding Forever tour.



With shows booked through the end of the year, and press clippings stacking up left and right—all without a single song available commercially—the ground swell is evident, and The Knux impact in 2008 is imminent. Act like you know. And if you forget, don’t worry, The Knux will Remind You In 3 Days…



With that said, here is a MP3 of The Knux lead-single, "Cappuccino," from their forthcoming debut Remind Me In 3 Days...

(MP3 will be coming to you shortly until then here is a stream of it)

Cappuccino

Courtesy of Matthew Conaway
-Matchz
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Now playing: Jamiroquai - Everyday
http://foxytunes.com/artist/jamiroquai/track/everyday



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Not many people realize that 9th Wonder is label-mates with Cam'ron, Gucci Mane and Shawty-Lo. The North Carolina producer remained with Asylum Records, a division of Atlantic Records and Warner Brothers, after Little Brother's Atlantic debut, 2005's The Minstrel Show.



Although he released last year's The Dream Merchant Volume 2 on the Florida-independent Six-Hole Records, the producer has been hard at work for over the last year on The Wonder Years, the release with major distribution. Despite singles, cover art, pre-order sales and numerous campaigns that the album would be releasing in late January or early February, 9th told HipHopDX that it's still incomplete.
"Me and [Erykah Badu] are gonna do a record for [The Wonder Years]. With her album, she has a lot of stuff goin' on," said 9th. "Travis McCoy [of Gym Class Heroes] is also somebody who said, 'I gotta do a record for it.' He'll have a joint on there. It's called 'Winnie Cooper.' [Laughs] I understand what it means now. I understand where Timbaland, Pharrell and Kanye and Dr. Dre...I understand what they understand - some of. It's nothing you can explain to a normal producer."

The producer elaborated further on perfecting his craft. "I'm learning more about producing. I got too much into making beats, and not putting my all into producing a record. I think that's what separates beat-makers from producers."

Although there is no exact date in sight for the album, 9th Wonder insists that the wait is worth it. "My best friend told me that The Wonder Years is the best record he's heard me produce so far. It's R&B and Hip Hop together. The records are very big, and they sound very big. They show growth. You can hear the growth between The Dream Merchant [Volume 2] and The Wonder Years. The beats sound epic. It fills the room up. That's what The Wonder Years is. It's a cookout record."

In addition to the artists 9th Wonder mentioned, The Wonder Years features Styles P, Jean Grae and The Justus League.

- Jake Paine
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Commonwealth Records is thrilled to announce the signing of the Massachusetts based hip-hop group The Camp (which consists of Dese, Grime Tha MC, Excetera and DJ Hevan) to its ever expanding roster of talented recording artists. The Camp, renowned for their live shows, are one of the fastest rising groups on the Boston hip-hop scene and they are set to release their debut album, The Campaign, on April 1st, 2008. The Camp’s debut, The Campaign, will be distributed worldwide by Independent powerhouse Amalgam Entertainment (which recently signed Joe Budden). The Campaign is Executive Produced by Apathy and will feature guest appearances by Apathy, Slaine (of La Coka Nostra and Special Teamz) and Sha Stimuli, as well as production from Apathy, J Cardim, Jaguar Skillz (who also Lupe Fiasco’s “We On”), Teddy Roxpin, Turbz, E. ONE, and Confidence.

Attached is an MP3 of the LP's lead-single, "Gentlemen Needs" produced by and featuring Apathy.

Please feel free to liberally post and distribute the MP3

The Camp - Gentleman Needs ft Apathy



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Now playing: eMC - The Lobby
http://foxytunes.com/artist/emc/track/the+lobby
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February 6, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
COMMONWEALTH RECORDS TO RELEASE EAGERLY-ANTICIPATED DEBUT FROM
THE CAMP



THE CAMPAIGN TO BE RELEASED ON APRIL 1st, 2008



Boston, MA – Commonwealth Records is thrilled to announce the signing of the Massachusetts based hip-hop group The Camp (which consists of Dese, Grime Tha MC, Excetera and DJ Hevan) to its ever expanding roster of talented recording artists. The Camp, renowned for their live shows, are one of the fastest rising groups on the Boston hip-hop scene and they are set to release their debut album, The Campaign, on April 1st, 2008.
Click "Read More!" For the rest of the press release and more about The Campaign

The Camp’s debut, The Campaign, will be distributed worldwide by Independent powerhouse Amalgam Entertainment (which recently signed Joe Budden). The Campaign is Executive Produced by Apathy and will feature guest appearances by Apathy, Slaine (of La Coka Nostra and Special Teamz) and Sha Stimuli, as well as production from Apathy, J Cardim, Jaguar Skillz (who also Lupe Fiasco’s “We On”), Teddy Roxpin, Turbz, E. ONE, and Confidence.



The Campaign’s first single and video "Gentleman Needs” ft. and produced by Apathy will be hitting radio and video outlets in March.



The Camp recently had the honor as being a featured video segment in launch of VIMBY.com (VideoInMyBackYard). VIMBY is a video content site devoted to capturing young lifestyle and culture all over the nation. Check out the video: http://www.vimby.com/video/music/us/all/detail/1649



Tracklisting and credits for The Campaign:

**Single will be up very shortly**

1.) The Campaign (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

2.) Gentleman Needs ft/Apathy (produced by Apathy)

3.) Calm Down (produced by Confidence)

4.) So High ft. Sweetie Irie (produced by Turbz)

5.) Little Story f/ Slaine (produced by Turbz)

6.) Return Of The Boom Bap (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

7.) Walk On By (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

8.) Number 1 (produced by Turbz)

9.) Like It Or Not f/Sha Stimuli (produced by J Cardim)

10.) Cruise Control (produced by Apathy)

11.) Forgot What It Was (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

12.) Get Gone f/Q Furb (produced by E One)

13.) Grab The One f/Oak Lonetree (produced by Jaguar Skillz)

14.) Moving Up (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

15). 1 Million (produced by Apathy)

16.) Lazy As Hell (produced by Teddy Roxpin)

17.) Why (produced by Turbz)

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You be the judge for yourself.
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http://www.zshare.net/audio/722621754c58bb/




Nas killed it
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1. Masta Ace is 41 years old. One of the oldest rappers I know to date that is still making good (See "The Show" by eMC)

2. DJ Jazzy Jeff filed and won a lawsuit over the name DJ Jazzy Jeff against a member of the Funky Four Plus one, who is the first hip group from the Bronx to receive a record deal.

3. Peedi Crack from State Property was offered a position in the Roots by ?uestlove after his work on "The Game Theory". But when Black Thought was notified he said, "Na he ain't joining. He just family."

4. Teddy Riley produced "I Get the Job Done" by Big Daddy Kane.

5. The Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest went to the same high school.

6. Chuck D gave Busta Rhymes his name after a former NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes.

7. MC Serch from 3rd Bass was Nas' manager and got him a record deal at Columbia Records.

8. Pete Rock and Heavy D are cousins.

9. Before Twista became the fastest rapper in the world, he was once a hairdresser.

10. MF Doom is 37. Is that mask covering his age?

11. Ludacris has not made a good album since 2003 but makes good feature. Sad...

12. Young Dro is older than T.I. and 85 percent of his rhymes has to do with his car compared to an exotic fruit.

13. Blu is the best West coast rapper to come out of there in over 10 years.

14. A Tribe Called Quest is not making another album. I am sorry but it just won't happen.

15. This also goes for the Fugees. We might get one from Lauryn Hill if she gets her mind right.

Okay, the last four are just my honest opinion. But they are true........to me.
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About one-third of hit songs - including three-quarters of rap songs - have some form of explicit reference to drug, alcohol or tobacco use, a new study found.

"Overall, 116 of the 279 unique songs (41.6 percent) had a substance use reference of any kind. Ninety-three songs (33.3 percent) contained explicit substance use references," wrote the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine researchers.

Just under 3 percent of the songs mentioned smoking, but almost 24 percent touched on alcohol use, close to 14 percent depicted marijuana use and 11.5 percent depicted other or unspecified substance use, the researchers noted.

The researchers did their study by analyzing Billboard magazine's 279 most popular songs of 2005.

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The overall rate of references varied widely by musical genre. One or more references to substance use were found in 48 of 62 rap songs (77 percent); 22 of 61 country songs (36 percent); 11 of 55 R&B/hip-hop songs (20 percent); nine of 66 rock songs (14 percent); and three of 35 pop songs (9 percent).

Of the 93 songs with explicit substance use references, the behaviors were frequently associated with partying (54 percent), sex (46 percent), violence (29 percent) and/or humor (24 percent). In these songs, substance use was most often motivated by peer/social pressure (48 percent) or sex (30 percent).

"Only four songs (4 percent) contained explicit anti-use messages, and none portrayed substance refusal," the study authors wrote. "Most songs with substance use (68 percent) portrayed more positive than negative consequences; these positive consequences were most commonly social, sexual, financial or emotional."

The study is published in the February issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The research was first presented in November at the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

"Children and adolescents are heavily exposed to substance use in popular music, and this exposure varies widely by genre. Substance use in music is frequently motivated by peer acceptance and sex, and it has highly positive associations and consequences," the study authors concluded.

Copyright 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

So the question is, do drugs make hits... Even our favorite underground rappers mention drugs in their songs, sometimes telling a story "Peruvian Cocaine." I think artists should use this research as a challenge to try to make all of their new singles for the next few months drug free and see how that goes. I mean hey, all talented people love challenges... right?



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Now playing: Rapper Big Pooh - Heart Of The City
http://foxytunes.com/artist/rapper+big+pooh/track/heart+of+the+city


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Prodege LLC, in conjunction with Kanye West, announced today the launch of www.searchwithkanyewest.com, a fan-oriented search engine that rewards users with artist merchandise and prizes.

The site is sure to become a favorite destination for fans of the brash rap superstar. The search technology is powered by Google and Ask, meaning users will continue to receive the same great results they presently receive from other top search engines. The difference is that when using www.searchwithkanyewest.com, users will receive digital dollars called Swag Bucks which can be redeemed for Kanye prizes, including: autographed CDs, MP3 downloads, clothing, exclusive Kanye West merchandise and even popular consumer electronics. Every search is a chance to win!

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"Being one of the top music artists of his generation, Kanye has a large and dedicated fan base", said Prodege VP of Marketing, Ron Leshem. "This is the perfect way for fans to support Kanye, while also earning a chance to win some amazing prizes for themselves."

Fans can increase their likelihood of earning top prizes by downloading the Kanye West toolbar at: www.searchwithkanyewest.com

The site is the result of a groundbreaking partnership between Kanye West, and Prodege LLC, the Internet's leading provider of branded search engines. Launched in 2006, Prodege has already compiled an impressive list of search partners from the world sports and music including: searchwithbeyonce.com, searchwiththeused.com, withsearchstaind.com, searchwithakon.com, searchwithwillienelson.com and searchwithrandymoss.com.

For a complete list of Prodege partner sites, please visit, www.swagbuck.com, an on-line superstore featuring the full catalog of exclusive merchandise redeemable from sites throughout Prodege's ever-growing network. Original Article

Who needs google when you can win stuff "searching with kanye" - Matchz
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http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__music/archive/2008/02/04/19238484.aspx

He might have left Little Brother...but still one of the hottest producers today. Jean Grae is the only female artists that I can sit down and listen to in today's hip hop. She aint fighting nobody, getting plastic surgery looking like a Barbie doll, and going to jail. Comments on this website would be greatly appreciated.
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Janet Jackson was a singer that America loved for a long time because she made great music and was not as crazy as her brother, Micheal. But ever since the wardrobe malfunction in Super Bowl 38 the Halftime shows have been going on a downward spiral that will eventually end up Sylvester Stallone giving a dramatic show of "Cliffhanger" during the halftime show in 2009. I could not find one person that knew who Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers was. So if you want to broaden your horizons Read on...and comments are good to read.
Just a short Summary of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "memorable" career

- He is a 57 rocker from Gainesville, Florida. During the halftime show, I didn't really know what to classify that as.

- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers musical career lasts from 1976-1987.

-They have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame along with Bugs Bunny, Kermit the Frog, Micheal Bolton, and the Simpsons.

Okay, but enough about them. Janet Jackson has ruined the Super Bowl Halftime show for anybody that has any type of substance younger than 50. This is not a racial issue. It is more of an age issue against us "rebellious youngsters." It is sad that everyone now decides to leave their Super Bowl Party they was at to watch the rest of the game at home or decide to eat because they know nothing exciting is going to happen. The Super Bowl Halftime show is just time now for everybody to catch their breath from the excitement of the game and to "up" the bets they have made. We should just lay the Super Bowl halftime show to rest and show even more funnier commercial I propose. R.I.P. Super Bowl Halftime Show 2004

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