"How it would be, if a house was dreaming"

"The conception of this project consistently derives from its underlying architecture - the theoretic conception and visual pattern of the Hamburg Kunsthalle. The Basic idea of narration was to dissolve and break through the strict architecture of O. M. Ungers "Galerie der Gegenwart". Resultant permeabilty of the solid facade uncovers different interpretations of conception, geometry and aesthetics expressed through graphics and movement. A situation of reflexivity evolves - describing the constitution and spacious perception of this location by means of the building itself."

Production: urbanscreen.com
Art Direction: Daniel Rossa - rossarossa.de
Realized with MXWendler mediaserver

Mixtape: XV - Everybody's (Hosted by DJ Enuff & DJ Benzi

After bloggin about this project for weeks, I am proud to say that it is finally here! XV is a homie of mine and I have been supporting the dude for the last year and a half. It means a lot to me to see the Kansas native go from grinding at his crib to flying frequently to NY for interviews and even doing freestyles with DJ Enuff and Roc Nation signee J. Cole. Aside from all of that ,he has put in a lot of work networking and doing features on mixtapes with other artists. The sky is the limit for this MC and I am sure this joint will not disappoint. I loved The Square in the Circle so I'm so excited to listen to Everybody's Nobody.

I mean damn just check the features on this project. XV is working with Ne-Yo, Wiz Khalifa, Colin Munroe, Big Sean, and Harlems Cash, and production by Seven, Boi-1da, and Omen. Simply ridiculous! All I have to say is (puts up glass) Congratulations Donovan! You deserve all the success cause I remember how frustrated it was awhile back chattin on Gmail not getting love from certain people and certain sites. Now people are coming around and the music is spreading everywhere. Beautiful thing to witness. Enjoy yall!!!

DOWNLOAD:

XV - Everybody's (Hosted by DJ Enuff & DJ Benzi)

Video: Astronomy Class featuring Vida-Sunshyne & Kween G (KillaQueenz)

new single from Astronomy Class featuring Vida-Sunshyne & Kween G (KillaQueenz)

Article: Showing Out - Wale Album Preview

Can't wait for Wale's Attention Deficit to come out? Well, check out the play by play on each track from Showing Out. This is going be a very impressive debut and I can't wait to hear the track he got with J. Cole. Mark Ronson is a production genius too so his touch on this CD should be really dope.

Here is a little preview of the intro what the article is all about....

"....Earlier this evening, a few members of the media were invited to Chung King Studios in New York City to get an advance listen to Wale’s Attention Deficit, the D.C. native’s Allido Records debut. Treated to a spread of soul food, brews and wine, we were ushered into the control room of the recording space where super producer Mark Ronson played 9 tracks off the album (he refrained from playing lead single “Chillin’” featuring Lady Gaga), simply stating that “the music speaks for itself” before playing the tunes.

And though the songs weren’t played in any particular sequence, the album is shaping up to be one hell of a debut, with production from Mark Ronson, TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek (making his hip-hop production debut), DJ Green Lantern, BKS and Cool & Dre in addition to guest appearances from Bun B, Gucci Mane, Jazmine Sullivan, Marsha Ambrosius, K’naan, J. Cole, Melanie Fiona and Travis Barker. Showing Out was there to bring you an exclusive track-by-track preview, so hit the jump to see what you can expect to hear when the album drops September 22......"

CONTINUE READING....to see the breakdown on the tracks!

MP3: Drake – The Search f. Saukrates (prod. Rich Kidd)

Yeah I know...same tired as picture of Drake, but hey I think this one is dope. It's before the craze and buzz when he was chillin in a hoodie with the shades tryna get to the top. Check out his new track that will be featured on Rich Kidd’s new mixtape We On Some Rich Kidd Shit Volume 3. Yeah don't know who Saukrates is, prolly another guy Drake trying to put on. Saukrate's verse is average, Drake's is kinda nice - standard verse from dude. See what ya think.

DOWNLOAD:

Drake – The Search f. Saukrates (prod. Rich Kidd)

UPDATE: See this is why I appreciated the comments. Shoutout to E-Vince. Saukrates been a legit MC from Canada for years. Drake continuing to try and put is country on the map! Thanks for dropping knowledge!

MP3: Fly Union - Getchu There (Prod. By Fly Union)

Simple production on the beat, but hey they did it themselves. Fly Union is on their lazy Mase flow on this track, but I like it. Real chill joint to listen maybe while you are lightin up the hookah (just like Judah - @JudahOnTheBeat lol)or smokin on whatever. You gotta listen and you will find some dope lines. My favorite one gotta be: "I had a dream I was dreaming in my dreams / When I woke up I was livin out your dreams" Sit back and think about that...repetitive usage of the word but a cool idea.

DOWNLOAD:

Fly Union - Getchu There (Prod. By Fly Union)

Performance: Mickey Factz - ALPHA (Live @ UCLA)

Damn, got this in my box today from Mickey the man with the Factz. Now, this is the kind of song I would love to play before a basketball game or whatever. Reminds me of a song that could be played during a fight scene like in Fight Club or maybe like when N.E.R.D.'s "Lapdance" played in Kiss of the Dragon. Can't wait for the CDQ to come out of this track.

Mickey Factz x Clés Clo from Clés Clo on Vimeo.

Check out the video. It's footage of him performing the song over at UCLA. Factz is sucha great performer, he goes all out and holds nothing back. When I saw dude at Rock the Bells he covered the full stage from left to right stomping on every part of it, dancing and jumping around. Dude doesn't play when it comes to peforming, veins come out and everything (yes even the bifocals)! Much props to him and all his success. Keep it moving!

Music Video: Calvin Harris - Ready for the Weekend

It's FRIIIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAY!!!! With that being said, Calvin Harris (all the way from the UK) is going to set the agenda for the next two days. Who is ready for the weekend? Funky feeling coming with this song and who can say they do not appreciate the lovely ladies in the video with the vibrant colors. Harris is a really dope act from overseas and I can't wait for his album "Ready for the Weekend" to drop August 17th

WEEKEND TIME!

MP3: Quest - Forever feat. Outasight

Quest's latest project "Broken Headphones" has gotten crazy love with over 30,000 downloads in the first week! However, due to the rush to get the project out on time it isn't totally mastered and in the best quality it can be so dude is re-releasing the project very soon. This here is the mastered version of an amazing cut with Outasight. Really sincere verses on this song, I just wish I would have heard Outasight rap, but its all good.

Here is what Quest had to say:

""I want to thank everyone for taking the time to listen to my latest project Broken Headphones. However, due to the fact that I was rushing at the end to get the project out on time to the masses, I was not able to deliver Master Quality of the mixtape. Which I apologize for. Being the artist that writes, composes, engineers, and masters his own product, it really does take a tole when you have be responsible for so much at one time. But you all deserve a project at its BEST quality.Here's the song that I promised to you all. "Forever (Feat Outasight) Thank you for your time and patience. And I will be back with a Revised and Remastered "Broken Headphones (Snap Crackle & Pop Free!)"

DOWNLOAD:

Quest - Forever feat. Outasight

Interview: J-$crilla, Part 1

We had the fortunate opportunity to kick it with this talented producer/DJ and co-founder/owner of Guns-N-Butter and Innerloop Records. In Part 1 of this 4-Part series, J-$crilla provides us insight into his origin and how he developed his skills as a producer and DJ; into the beginning of Guns N Butter and Innerloop Records; and even baseball, among other topics. J-$crilla's "Culture of Honor" mixtape, dropping on August 25, has features from JR Writer, General Steele, Cassidy, Nickelus F, Reef The Lost Cauze, Oddisee, K-Beta, Sketch, Ankh Amen Ra, Judah, Muggsy Malone, Ra the MC and others.

J-$crilla Interview, Part 1 from illvibes on Vimeo.

Mixtape: Notorious BIG + Frank Sinatra "Bed Stuy Meets Blue Eyes"

This mash-up mixtape turned out a lot better than I originally expected. If you're a serious Notorious BIG fan, you definitely need to add this to your collection. This mixtape was very refreshing.

DOWNLOAD

Classic Video: Concrete Click "Keep It Street"

Straight head bobbing hip hop. New emcees, please take notes. Let it marinate.

"I'm gonna keep it street (true that black), I ain't watering down my sound for no airplay..."

Video Information:
Artist: Concrete Click
Album: Lyrical Terrorism
Year: 1995

MP3: The Five One Band x The Postal Service - Sak Passe

I'm actually a huge The Postal Service fan, and I wasn't surprised at all that my favorite band from this area had the creativity to remix a group of that caliber. What do you think? Also, I blame myself for not making one of their live shows; apparently, it's out of this world!

DOWNLOAD:

The Five One Band x The Postal Service - Sak Passe


PREVIOUSLY: MP3: The Five One Band x Janet Jackson - Got 'Til It's Gone / MP3: The Five One Band - Summertime

Article: "On Blogs and Promotion"

We came across this article after seeing Judah post it on Twitter (@JudahOnthebeat) and I wholeheartedly agree with what dude is saying. Upset the Setup really was right on target. It's a discourse talking about how marketing in the game has changed....Definitely worth reading.

Also...good look on the iLL Vibes shoutout! Always appreciated!!!

Here is just a little snippet....for the full article click here

"...Now in 2009 every aspiring hip hop artist thinks to themselves – “hey, if I can send out my promos to the blogs, then everyone will read about me and I’ll be the next big thing!” So they get in their home studio, record some raps, ‘master’ it, take a picture with their iPhone and put it on the internets. The smart one in the crew by now will have compiled a list of hip hop blogger’s emails and twitters to SPAM them with announcements of the new release. Usually these emails proclaim the return of real hip hop, are poorly written in ALL CAPS and open with a thoughtful “WHAT’S GOOD?” – or even worse they will expose all the email addresses in the CC field on some Marketing Email For Dummies type shit.

Seriously, the other day, I got an email sent to about 100 top hip hop bloggers (Nah Right, 2Dopeboys, Ruby Hornet, DJ Semtex, Ill Vibes, etc) with the subject line “my contacts” – all copied in the CC field. SMH....."

KEEP READING!!!

Congrats to Mike Posner!

I have to say congrats to the homie Mike Posner for getting signed to J Records. He is in a good family with Jamie Foxx, Alicia Keys, Mario, Pitbull, Leona Lewis, etc. Dopeness, his mixtape "A Matter of Time" was a project that I seriously played a lot from beginning to end. It is great to see his unique style appreciated in this difficult music industry.

MIXTAPE: Three/21 Media & The Kickdrums present Inside a Change

This right here is the official soundtrack for the upcoming release of Rik Cordero & Three/21 Media's movie Inside a Change. Earlier today, I dropped Cons's track on the project which was hella dope, but I never thought that the soundtrack would boast this much promise. Just check all the people on this project with the tracklisting below:

TRACKLISTNG:

1. Joell Ortiz feat. The Kickdrums – “How To Change”
2. J.A.M.E.S. Watts feat. Frank G – “You’re My Life”
3. The Kickdrums – “Just A Game”
4. A.P. feat. Illmind – “All I Seen”
5. Wale – “Family Affair”
6. Saigon feat. The Kickdrums – “Change Gon Come”
7. Skillz feat. Usef Dinero & DJ Jazzy Jeff – “Inside A Change”
8. Jayci – “Thru”
9. Novel – “F*** Wit My Mind”
10. J.A.M.E.S. Watts & Nami Unreal feat. Frank G – “Get Up 8”
11. Black Moon – “This Goes Out To You”
12. Aasim feat. Sean C & Lv – “Just Live”
13. J.A.M.E.S. Watts & A.P. feat. The Kickdrums – “Other Side”
14. Royce Da 5′9″ – “The Best Thing Yet”
15. Jared Evan – “Headphones”
16. Jesse Boykins III – “Be All Truth”
17. Consequence feat. Statik Selektah & Paula Campbell – “Closer”
18. Jason Lam – “Inside A Change Main Theme”
19. Chronik & Echonomist – “Inside A Change Love Theme”
20. Blakkout – “Closer” (Original Version)
21. Rik Cordero & Nami Unreal – “Speak Again”

Executive Produced by Rik Cordero & The Kickdrums

DOWNLOAD:

Three/21 Media & The Kickdrums present Inside a Change (Mixtape)

*Updated Link*

MP3: XV ft Big Sean - Life vs Livin (Produced By Omen)

Sick beat coming from Omen. I love the vocal auto tune effects at the end of some of the lines. XV seems like he is coming serious with this projects with heavyweight features. His verse is dope, and him and Big Sean go back and forth with the wordplay. Favorite wordplay line is"I think they had enough (DJ ENUFF)....Hot 97." Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD:

XV ft Big Sean - Life vs Livin (Produced By Omen)

Music Video: Skooda Chose, Mikey Rocks, and Twista - Loungin'

Who is this dude?!?! From the first couple of seconds of the track, I got goosebumps and I feel like this dude DEFINITELY got something going for him. I love hip hop like this...this is the kind of track that makes you feel cool as shit when you driving to this or just walking into the metro hooked up to your ipod.

Skooda Chose got sucha dope and smooth delivery. I wish I knew more about him...but I dont...but as a dedicated blogger I'm def going to get to researching. Fellow Chi-Town native Mikey Rocks of The Cool Kids blesses the track as well. Blended Babies are the dope production team consisting of Reach and Colin Response that laced the track.

DOWNLOAD:

Blended Babies featuring Skooda Chose, Mikey Rocks, and Twista - Loungin'

As the grand finale, Twista murks the track with his legendary bullet delivery although he doesn't rap as fast as he does on that Alchemist track "Smile" (that speed is just retarded). Finally, I have to give props to the video, very well done with dope imagery as these cats just walking round their barrio rappin reppin their hood.

"I'm just making money and loungin"

MP3: Greenspan ft. Feevaleo & Ra the MC - Headbop (Prod. Judah)

You all have no idea how dope this project is, and I can't wait for you guys to hear it. For now, listen to the first leaked project from the project, "Headbop". This track reminds me of the ATCQ (A Tribe Called Quest, for you noobs) era, as Judah expectantly laces an ill track with a solid jazz-like foundation, with the emcees intriguing the listeners with personal stories.

DOWNLOAD:

Greenspan ft. Feevaleo & Ra the MC - Headbop (Prod. Judah)

The project "When The Sky Turns GREEN" is a collection of music created with imagery of elevation and free will. Each song has been designed carefully to offer listeners an accurate depiction of sovereignty with representations of the soulful-side of hip-hop from the perspective of a Baltimore artist. The content in such songs as "Wings," "Sky Dive," and "Outlaw" each cry out freedom as Greenspan breathes life into his artistry through actualization.

MP3: Consequence - Closer feat.The Band Camp

Ah! The sample is nice, Cons straight re-did the oldies Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway classic "The Closer I Get To You." The second I heard this I thought about Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in Rush Hour 3 (Watch at 2:20).

This cut is the theme song for Rik Cordero’s Inside a Change, which debuts tomorrow night at the HBO Latino Film Festival in New York. I'm really excited for this project, we all know Cordero has really put in credible work on the music video tip so this is a big jump.

DOWNLOAD:

Consequence - Closer feat.The Band Camp

HBO's "Hung" / Whatever Happened to "It's Pat"?

I wonder what the hell the writers of HBO's shows drink or where they got their edu-ma-cation because they keep coming with good shows. "Hung" is their newest show about a man miserable with his life after his wife leaves him, oh yeah and he's short on cash flow. He decides to well...become a gigolo and hilarity ensues with the customers that he gets. Check the trailer.

Aight, so I was watching the show last night with the homie JBiz and when we saw the main character's son "Damon" (see pic below) we could not figure out if he was a boy or a girl? Too confused, we even had a mini-debate going. The scene where I first saw him/her (let's just say "it"), it was getting a manicure with it's sister. That's kinda suspect for a dude...I'm just saying.

Anyways, as the debate kept going on we remember about that 1994 comedy flick, "It's Pat." Tell me you guys remember this movie, it is too funny! The movie is essentially based on the adventures and misadventures of an androgynous main character (Pat) as his neighbor becomes obsessed with finding out if Pat is woman or man. It's one of those flicks you would find on day-time Comedy Central.

You guys remember this movie? Here is a little taste for ya...

Movie Trailer: Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island"

Scorsese....what more can I say (*Jay-z laugh*)? The guy did friggin' "Goodfellas" among other dope gangsta movies, directed MJ's (RIP) "Bad" music video, and did a cameo in Entourage last season. He is a cultural icon in the American movie industry. Enter, Dicaprio, I hated this punk in Titanic, but eventually he won over my attention with his convincing acting in movies like Catch Me if You Can, The Departed and Blood Diamond.

So I like this duo, they did The Aviator, Gangs of New York, and The Departed (straight gangsta movie), but the two are definitely switching it up with "Shutter Island." The movie is a straight slasher flick so it should be interesting watching Scorsese experiment with the horror genre.

Will it be Oscar-worthy or a bust? Time will tell.

Drop your thoughts.

Instrumental Remix EP: Melo-X - "BLACKsummers’ night"

The release of Maxwell's lastest album "Black Summer's Night" has created a huge buzz in the industry. First, because of his comeback because in his prime a couple of years back Maxwell could make the panties drop with the quickness with his falsetto. Second, people are talking about the project because it is a simply beautiful album.

The homie Melo-X def realized this and decided to put his production to the test and remix the album to create an instrumental EP. So, if you are trying to mellow out to some smooth music or if you are an aspiring artists that needs a change with the same old humdrum beats get this project. I definitely recommend the work of Melo-X.

DOWNLOAD:

Melo-X - BLACKsummers’ Night Instrumental Remix

On another note, please check out Melo-X's recent performance at SOBS.
Dude is straight spittin truth:

MP3: Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars (Shazam Dub Mix)

Bag Raiders are an ill electronica/disco group from Australia (don't forget about our other fav. Aussies "Empire of the Sun" and I got to say I am completely obsessed with their song "Shooting Stars." This group has worked with several respected artists like Cut Copy, Calvin Harris, Chromeo, Kid Sister, and more! The original "Shooting Stars" track which can be found here starts out with a vibe that is perfect for a nightdrive and slowly builds up into an amazing breakdown with synths and positive energy about halfway through the song.

Yesterday I came across this remix on RCRD LBL, that I got to say is very consistent with the remixes, and I got too happy. Bag Raiders have credibility but their sound has not spread yet. I'm predicting that this will be one of those electronica groups that will garner plenty of attention, especially with the re-release of their single "Shooting Stars" coming on August 14th with plenty of remixes including the one below. The Shazam Dub Mix is a very upbeat take on the song filled with retro disco-inspired beats. So enough talking....get the song.

DOWNLOAD:

Bag Raiders - Shooting Stars (Shazam Dub Mix)

If you want to hear more from Bag Raiders check their myspace and blog.

Drop a comment if you feeling the track!

Video: Skyzoo "The Beautiful Decay"

I heard this track about a month ago, and I was entranced by this beat. 9th Wonder deserves MEGA props for this track. I can't wait until "The Salvation" drops on September 29th. I am going to be dropping mad money this fall on LPs (Termanology, Canibus, Statik Selektah, Slaughterhouse, MOP, Grand Puba?, Skyzoo...to be continued). Oh yeah, the video is dope too.

Interview: Theophilus London (via S4H)

I've been meaning to post this because this is just an exceptional interview, supplied by the homie DP. Peep the Sixty4Harmony site because it's truly DOPE and because there's some incredible footage of Summer Jam there!

We talked about what he thinks of Vancouver, the passing of music icon Michael Jackson, what his role in the new generation of hip-hop is, why his music is "for the world" and much more.

PREVIOUSLY: MP3: Theophilus London & Peter Hadar - Want U 4 My Self

MP3: Mouse aka The Waldorf Posterboy - Grey

I got the advance on this track and wanted to post it immediately, so I'm glad he gave us the permission to do so!! Watch out for his project dropping on August 17th, via DDotOmen.com.

DOWNLOAD:

Mouse aka The Waldorf Posterboy - Grey

I'm conformed to the norm / Time to neglect it and take the road that's less respected, Exit!


BONUS:

PHZ-Sicks & Mouse - Kinda Like a Big Deal

Interview: Joe Budden (via DDotOmen)

So the homie D Dot had the exclusive studio session with Joe Budden (pause*) and shot some great footage of 1/4th of Slaughterhouse. Be sure to watch both parts, as D Dot provides his best Barbara Walters impression and provides us with an insightful interview:

*Joe Budden threatened me if I didn't use that PAUSE

Part 1:

Part 2:



PREVIOUSLY: Video: Slaughterhouse at Rock the Bells DC (HD)

MP3: John Legend - Everybody Knows (RAC Mix)

Mellow Mix of Legend Track.

DOWNLOAD:

John Legend - Everybody Knows (RAC Mix)

Props to RCRD LBL

MP3: BrandUn DeShay - Imaginary Weekend With Her

Love this mellow track, sounds like a Neptunes production from circa late 90s

LOL at the cover art with White/Pink Ranger

DOWNLOAD:

Brandun Deshay - Imaginary Weekend With Her

Drake & Lil Wayne Parody

WOW this made me die from laughter. Peep the song at 1:25. They really, really had Lil Wayne and Drake on point.

Nathan "Flutebox" Lee and Beardyman @ Google, London

Move over Rahzel....his mother does know

Comments....

I'm facing the music...the harsh reality...we get no comments :-( no kinda play. I mean our chatbox gets some love and much props to all the supporters on there, but its like we got no game. On the real, aside from the love of the music and self-expression us bloggers love some comments. It keeps us moving on!

Now I know....dropping comments is kinda out of your way (a couple extra finger movements too many) but show the love for the work! Real sh*t though, God knows I've done that same thing, but from here on out I'm not going to be a hypocrite and get on my comment game too on other respective sites.


With the enhanced support, I know its going to provide more motivation to keep the freshness and originality coming hard *pause*. From time to time, we get to slacking and just post songs/videos/ mixtapes like any other blog, but with the proper support we are gonna be FORCED to continually come correct putting in more typing and searching for the dopest acts, events, etc. out there.

With that said...it's back to work! Thanks for the support!!!

MP3: Theo Martins - Say It Right feat. Chaise Marcel

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD:

Theo Martins - Say It Right feat. Chaise Marcel

The sample is hella trill

Movies: 500 Days of Summer

Saw this movie yesterday with the girl. Had to say it did not disappoint. If you are looking for a chill movie that is real...check it. The movie is brutally honest about the boundaries and ambiguities about relationships, heartbreak, and friendships. Not to mention it is really artistically done as well as it just pours out with creativity and experimentation with different kinds of cinematography. Finally, it was pretty dope that they played some The Smiths (Shout to Theophilus London - big Smiths Fan)

On a sidebar, when I was watching this movie this 88-Keys track popped into my head from time to time.

Wattup 88-Keys (Twitter: @eightyocho )

Happy Hump Day!

It's Wednesday... The Hump Day

So bittersweet because you are halfway into the week and halfway from the weekend

EP: The Perfect Median - "This Morning EP"

WARNING: Listening to this record at high volumes may cause an eargasm. This joint is dope.

"Originally this was only supposed to be a couple of songs. When I say a couple, I mean like, two. I’ve been calling back and forth talking with Grip H all day, as some more of our old stuff may (or may not) be hitting the Kevin Nottingham site soon. I will let time tell that story. What I present to you right now though, is the latest effort from Grip H and me as The Perfect Median, the group from which most of my body of work comes to date. Go to the jump for the download link.

The way this record is put together is as follows:
Side A is two older tracks that we recorded many moons ago. Not too many moons, though, cause I haven’t been making beats that long.
Side B is new tracks that we’ve recently penned and recorded. All of the beats were handled in house with the exception of the last track which was a 9th Wonder beat. Big ups to 9th Wonder (for not letting us officially use this beat, haha). So here is some more music for the $free.99"

DOWNLOAD

Mixtape: QuESt - Broken Headphones

Definitely one of the most anticipated projects this year. Let the homie know what you think!

DOWNLOAD:

QuESt - Broken Headphones (Mixtape)

Video: Mike Posner ft. Brandon Hines - Still Not Over You

Yeah, we've been posting a lot of Mike, but - damnit! lol - it's great music, and plus I never, until now, caught this version of the song with Brandon Hines. Can we get this studio version? The original had Eric Holljes, and B. Hines does his thing with this rendition.

PREVIOUSLY: Peformance: Mike Posner performing "Evil Woman" at SOBs

Video: QuESt - A Capella & "I Will" Live

I know we're all still waiting for his project to drop, but he's the type who will miss deadlines in order to make sure everything's perfect, as expected. Don't worry, it's coming soon!

Promo: Greenspan - When the Sky Turns Green (08/11/09)

Are you ready??

I'm telling you Greenspan is about to put some potholes in the game. Keep your eyes out and hears open for this goldmine project. This dude is gonna add another chapter to the rise of the DMV. For a look back at his other projects go to www.myspace.com/fdrgreenspan and greenspanmusic.blogspot.com

Shoutout to Judah x illroots x DJ Benzi!!!!

J. Cole & XV Freestyle with DJ Enuff

I been tellin you for over a year now that XV was something of a problem for the game and the praise is coming (WATTUP DONOVAN!). Check out he dope freestyle with him and J. Cole with DJ Enuff Radio. There are too many CRAZY ONE-LINERS. This is hip hop man, it just looks like they are having so much fun. Look at DJ Enuff smilin trying to catch every next line.

Oh yeah, XV's mixtape dropping this friday!!! "Everybody's Nobody"

Sidebar: DJ Enuff lookin lika lil kid with those sunflower seeds. He a fiend for them just like the homie J. Biz


UPDATE:

Check out XV's freestyle over Renaissance Rap over at Crack Distributor's Radio

PSA: Wale - Pretty Girls feat. Gucci Mane

If this was an official decision by the Wale camp to put Gucci Mane on "Pretty Girls" I must rant. That decision was just plain silly. This was my favorite track of the moment and I've been banging it everywhere; from the crib to the ride to the club and to the after party! The song is just plain dope and more importantly it has the sound of DC. Gucci Mane totally messed that up. I'm not hating, I heard the song and his verse was sub-par.

I'm not a fan of Gucci but I admit that his hit "Ay" got things moving in the club and people liked it. I respect that...but the strategy behind putting him on "Pretty Girls" does not make sense. I know that it has been a struggle for Wale to get more radio plays after the Drake craze, but why compromise the integrity of the song? I mean what happened to the "artistic integrity"? This guy could have put several other people on it to get the same effect! Try getting Drake, Asher, Kid Cudi...damn even Jeremih since he got a big buzz off "Birthday Sex." You want a hit for the club, throw on Pitbull or T-Pain. There were several other ways he could have gone with this one...but Gucci Mane?

I remember back when the first cut of "Chillin" came out. I loved it! The original was dope but they chose to throw Lady Gaga on it. Although some people were opposed to that decision, I understood that move because it made sense. After "Arab Money" dropped and made a craze the beats were very similar so Cool and Dre adjusted the beat a little bit and threw on Lady Gaga which was and still is a huge act. She added a little more of a pop/commercial feel to the song and it worked beautifully. Props to Weisman on that one.


Anyways, I'm just providing my opinon. Wale did "Back to the Feature" and if he wanted to work with Gucci Mane throw him on there, but don't do it for your debut album. I"m stilll a big Wale fan, I just hope that his upcoming album does not contain more features similar to the likes of Gucci Mane. Don't let the debut be a product of conformity and commercialization.

You listen to the ORIGINAL and then the NEW track and be the judge....

Tell me the original isn't better!

On another note, check out Wale's interview with Young Hollywood on the set for his album cover photo shoot:

Artistic Integrity: Giacometti v. Bobby Ray aka B.O.B.

Ok, so I'm bringing back my segment "Artistic Integrity." I stopped for awhile, but I got re-inspired for lack of a better word after seeing Mickey Factz's GFCNY blog with their section on artwork with Mickey's poems (WATTUP MICKEY). For those not familiar with it check the last two posts on Nas and Wale. I'm a fan of Art and Music so I'm pretty much fusing the two. I'm going to drop a classic artwork, capture the vibe and compare it to a track.

Damn these people look lonely.....don't they? It was exactly the vibe Swiss artist Alberto Giacometti was going for. His artwork was a social criticism of the late 1940s after World War II. He noticed that after the horrors of the war, society just wasn't the same. The streets seemed empty and the people seemed isolated and looked emaciated searching for different ways to cope with the difficulty of the war. The above sculpture is his artistic interpretation of a popular street corner where he used to live. Everybody is faceless and detached from the world dealing with their own problems.

Similarly, B.O.B. captures the same vibe with "Lonely People", a song that samples the Beatles classic, but he addresses the questionable lifestyle of society specifically regarding alcohol and drug abuse. The visuals of the video are dope as well, because even though you can be in a room surrounded by people you can still be lonely because of your situation.

There is a lot of story telling on this track from visions of children left crying in the alley to girls suffering from depression and pressures of conformity. So vibe to the track and look at the sculptures, and tell me that you don't see a resemblance to what you are listening to.

DOWNLOAD: B.O.B. - Lonely People (NO DJ)

Oh yeah, I def had to show to provide the Beatles classic song as well. Listen to their lyrics as well as it also pertains to the same gloomy view that Giacometti captured.

Out...next segment will be dedicated to Mickey Factz.

Welcome Back Vick!

He's baaaaaaaack!!!! Today Roger Goodell reinstated Michael Vick into the NFL under "certain conditions" but he could be able to play as early as Week 6 in October. Come to the REDSKINS maaaaan!!!! For more info click here.