eLZhi: The Preface Album Cover Art
July 31st, 2008
eLZhi - The Preface eLZhi's The Preface is due August 12th on Fat Beats Records with most production by Black Milk. At MySpace: eLZhi Over at Hip Hop Press: Slum Village's eLZhi Teams Up with Black Milk For First Solo AlbumFiled under: General | No Comments »
Singles: Lil Wayne Sets Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Record
July 31st, 2008
Lil Wayne stays strong on the Hot 100 singles chart with A Milli at no. 6 and Lollipop featuring Static Major at no. 7. Over at the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, "Lil Wayne sets a new record by placing 13 titles as a lead or featured artist this week. He surpasses T.I.'s...Filed under: General | No Comments »
RECOGNIZE! Launches The Portrait Happy Hour!
July 31st, 2008
Past February 2008, The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery recognized hip hop as an influential culture in the society and organized the exhibit called RECOGNIZE!, a display of Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture that included colorful graffiti murals lining all of the gallery hallways.
In early instance some critics said this exhibit was only an attempt to take young people to the museum providing the audience with an insight into the hip hop cultural movement in America putting together the work of David Sheinbaum and graffiti artists Dave Hupp and Tim Conlon.
Nonetheless, RECOGNIZE! collected different media and artwork such as the portrait of Ice T as Napoleon, work by Kehinde Wiley in which Ice T is wearing a robe like the French emperor in the painting by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, but wearing a baseball cap instead of a crown.
The fact is that RECOGNIZE! is still on and the exhibit now features a “Hip-Hop Happy Hour” at 5 pm that is broadcast live by 93.9 WKYS-FM, although the airplay is from 2 pm to 6, plus the presentation of “New York Is Now” by DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller) in the Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium at 7 pm.
The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery is located in Eighth and F Streets in NW, D.C., admission is free and the gallery’s mission is spread the story of America through the people who have shaped American culture.
Now the question is, simply marketing strategy or true awareness in hip-hop?
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Ludacris & Barack Battle Over Brand Obama
July 31st, 2008
Ludacris - Politics (Obama is Here) As the attack ads war continues, Barack Obama now has to contend with the transgressions of Ludacris as revealed in the lyrics to Politics (Obama is Here). It's tough controlling that brand when the people take your back. Over at Hip Hop...Filed under: General | No Comments »
Dr. Dre Is Preparing His New Album
July 30th, 2008
Record producer and rapper Dr. Dre has finally announced the release of his new album “Detox” sometime between November and December this year. As a recording executive, Dr. Dre considers the delay of his new album a natural thing bearing in mind he is always pursuing perfection.
Dr. Dre was born André Romelle Young on February 18, 1965 in Compton California, debuting with his West Coast hip hop in 1984. Although Dr. Dre is CEO and founder of Aftermath Entertainment record label, his name has came into public attention after the scandal around Death Row Records, at which he was former co-owner.
But Dr. Dre has nothing to do with public scandals since he is one of the most respected hip hop producers so do not feel surprised finding in “Detox” as featured guests rappers such as Nas, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and Lil’ Wayne.
In an interview with USA Today, Dr. Dre said about his new album “We have an entirely new thing going with the drums that’s incredible, and we’re still developing that. I’m going to put this record out, promote it, tour and then become a hermit, I’m going to stay in the studio and produce.”
“Detox” is a long-time awaited album due to be released in 2004, but it was not completed because Dr. Dre was just busy producing the albums of Eminem, Rhymes, Eve and The Game for Aftermath Entertainment. Planned as a concept album two years before (in 2002) “Detox” will finally see the light soon… or not yet?
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DJ Revolution: King of the Decks Album Cover & Tracklist
July 30th, 2008
DJ Revolution - King of the Decks DJ Revolution's King of the Decks is due September 16th from Duck Down Music. DJ Revolution states [via press release]: "The title of the album is by no means a way of saying I'm the best on the turntables. 'King of the Decks' is obviously...Filed under: General | No Comments »
Kidz In The Hall’s Management Issues Statement
July 30th, 2008
Here's the statement being circulated by Kidz In The Hall's management regarding recent events that have been making the news: "Double O from the hip hop group Kidz In The Hall was assaulted by several bouncers early Saturday morning, July 26, while inside a nightclub in...Filed under: General | No Comments »
My First Meeting
July 30th, 2008
So I had my first meeting with a major record label (Def Jam) yesterday and I could tell you first hand that the music industry is fucked up. When people hear that the game is fucked up they usually think that is something against the south and southern music in general, its not. In all honesty is has nothing to do with the kind of music being made any where its just a honest fact. THE GAME IS FUCKED UP. Let me tell you why I now know this for a fact. Making music for as long as I been making it I always assumed that after my first meeting if I did not get signed it would be based on either my music not being the right fit for the label or me not being good enough period. Being good is no longer a factor. I was told by a A&R who is a good friend to one of my favorite emcees that I was good, even told that I had a song that could potentially be a hit (I use to think I would be on my way to being a star after that) but he would not be able to even bring me to any of his bosses without me having it played on the radio at lease 800 times a week. Meaning I could only get a record deal if I figure out how to do a record labels job by myself. Like imagine going for a job at a bank and they tell you your more than qualified to be a teller but you have to sign up 800 new accounts on your own before they could hire you. When it all falls down I’m more happy than disappointed because now I know for a fact that I’m good enough to be signed,I just got a lot more grinding to do.
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Bet Ya House On It
July 30th, 2008
Nocturnal? Classic
Magnum Force? No Comment
D.I.R.T. (Da Incredible Rap Team)? Best Album of 2008 ? Odds gotta be 2/1!
Supposedly, September 30th is the day that D.I.R.T. will be released to the masses. I am putting it right there at the number one spot for my most anticipated album of 2008. Really, what can fuck with it? The only other artists right now that I can think of off the top of the head are Blu & Exile and maybe NYOil. If you heard their leaked track, “Everything is Heltah Skeltah” then you know what you are in store for: creative concepts, clever rhymes that give you hope about a change in the current status of hip-hop, and a dope beat.
For a minute I was getting worried there, it seemed like Rock and Ruck would never bring it back together. All of a sudden- BOOM. Sean P went from being the second most talked about rapper in Heltah Skeltah to being one of the most respected and talked about rappers in the game. He dropped two solo albums with his most recent having some guest spots from Rock, which gave all the HS fans something to tide them over.
Also, from the sounds of the new HS track, Sean P is back to his old form vocally. When listening to recent tracks and seeing him perform live , I started to wonder if I should mail some fuckin’ Ricola to Duck Down. Sean P sounded mad hoarse.
Seems like someone made a trip to the ear, nose and throat doctor, cause Sean P is sounding like vintage “Operation Lockdown”-era Ruck but with new tricks up his sleeve. Add Rock, who will forever have one of the dopest voices in hip-hop and you have a recipe for guaranteed success. If you are going to download shit in 2008 then download that ringtone bs, buy this ish. Perhaps if people start supporting ish like this, we can expect higher quality hip-hop on a more regular basis. Oh yeah, what albums are everyone out there anticipating?
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Albums: Lil Wayne #5, Nas #8
July 30th, 2008
Miley Cyrus takes over the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart as Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III slips to no. 5 and Nas' Untitled slips to no. 8. Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200: 1. Miley Cyrus - Breakout 2. Sugarland - Love on the Inside 3. Soundtrack - Mamma Mia! 4....Filed under: General | No Comments »