A hip-hop head asked me who is my favorite hip-hop artist night now

I said J.Cole

I got respect

J. Cole - The Warm Up Mixtape (zip)

J. Cole - The Come Up Mixtape (zip)

J. Cole - "Losing My Balance" (LIVE) from By Any Means T.V. on Vimeo.

Truthfully my favorite hip-hop group for the moment is Chiddy Bang

they combine hip-hop, electro and indie

my 3 favorite music genres

Chiddy Bang - Fresh Like Us (mp3)

Chiddy Bang - On Our Way (mp3)

Chiddy Bang - Sooner or Later (mp3)

Chiddy Bang - Because (mp3)

via Kickin the Peanuts

My favorite hip-hop song at the moment is

Consequence ft. Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Common, Big Sean & John Legend – “Whatever U Want” (G.O.O.D. Music Remix) (mp3)

Top of the pops

MTV TOP 10 MCs

(I don't like rankings, I like lyrics....with meaning)

#1 Jay-Z
Probably the favorite rapper of many hip-hop fans this generation, but despite the sales of the album that was released this year, very few people think he made a greatest impact on hip-hop this year or produced a legendary album.


#2 Lil Wayne
Definitely the most prolific rapper of the last year. Know for his amazing lyrical imagery and his unique autotune singing. He should be dropped by a few spots, because he thought he could be rock star...literally. lol


#3 Drake
He raps and he sings...yes that was a reference to Lil Wayne and autotune. He is unofficially labeled as the favorite new artist of the year, but despite his ability to be duel talented, he hasn't stood out on verses with other successful rappers.


#4 Kanye West
Hella cocky, so you know he thinks he deserves to be on top of the list. However, he showed his ability to produce almost an entire record for Jay-Z and he delivered the best verse on several songs with top rappers.


#5 Rick Ross
I don't know and I haven't made an effort to find out.


#6 Gucci Mane
IGNORANCE.
Not close to a MC.


#7 Young Jeezy
I don't know and I haven't made an effort to find out.
Yes, he made a song about Barack Obama, but it was far from a reputable endorsement like the songs done by other musicians.


#8 Fabolous
Fix your teeth and learn how to spell your own name right and then we'll talk.
But seriously, his most recent release had a lot of hype, but I'm too smart to believe in hype especially from an artist who musically burned me in the past.


#9 50 Cent
All the ego and half the talent.


#10 Raekwon he Chef
Ranked #1 on itunes when Jay-Z released his album. However, Jay-Z ranks at the very top of this list and Raekwon is #10, I don't get it.
He was in Wu-Tang and when stands alone he earned an impressive 8.8 from Pitchfork.


Where is.....

KID CUDI
WALE
TRAVIS MCCOY
JAY ELECTRONICA
NAS
NALEDGE
THEOPHILUS LONDON
MOS DEF
BLU
CURREN$Y
B.o.B. (BOBBY RAY)
T.I

Cold Beats & Melting Genres

Murdering Greatness
Where will you catch Kanye & Lady Gaga's Fame Kills Tour?

For the last few month, several tour dates and tour stops have been stated, but it's finally official now that tickets are on sale.
Sorry New Orleans, Houston is only a few hour away

Tour Club Presale tickets are already available for the first 11 dates and the last day of the tour.
Public Online sale begins between September 25th and October 16th

TOUR DATES
November 10th Phoenix, AZ US Airways 26-Sep 10am

November 11th San Diego, CA San Diego Sports Arena 26-Sep 12noon

November 13th Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Ctr 26-Sep 10am

November 15th Anaheim, CA Honda Center 26-Sep 10am

November 16th Los Angeles, CA Staples Center 26-Sep 10am

November 18th Sacramento, CA Arco Arena 25-Sep 12noon

November 19th San Jose, CA HP Pavilion 26-Sep 10am

November 24th Vancouver, BC GM Place 25-Sep 10am

November 26th Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome 25-Sep 10am

November 28th Edmonton, AB Rexall Place 25-Sep 10am

November 29th Saskatoon, SK Credit Union Center 25-Sep 10am

December 2nd Denver, CO Pepsi Center Oct 3

December 4th St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center 3-Oct 10am

December 9th Miami, FL American Airlines Arena Oct 3

December 11th Atlanta, GA Philips Arena 3-Oct 12noon

December 12th Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum Oct 16

December 13th Norfolk, VA Scope Arena 10-Oct 10am

December 16th Worcester, MA DCU Center Oct 3

December 18th Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center Oct 9

December 19th Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena 9-Oct 10am

December 20th Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena 3-Oct 11am

December 22nd East Rutherford, Izod Center 3-Oct 10am NJ

December 23rd Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena Oct 10

December 26th Hartford, CT XL Center 3-Oct 10am

December 30th Washington, DC Verizon Center 2-Oct 12noon

January 3rd Uniondale, NJ Nassau Coliseum 3-Oct 10am

January 6th Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre 3-Oct 1pm

January 8th Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place 3-Oct 1pm

January 11th Montreal, QC Bell Center 3-Oct 12noon

January 14th Detroit, MI Palace of Auburn Hills Oct 2

January 16th Chicago, IL United Center 2-Oct 12noon

January 21st San Antonio, TX AT&T Center 10-Oct 10am

January 22nd Houston, TX Toyota Center Oct 3

January 24th Dallas, TX American Airlines Center Sept 25

Fame Kills from kwest on Vimeo.

Zuper Blahq
**cough**Will.i.am.**cough**
Zuper Blahq is the new face (or rather mask) of electro music, that has an amazing sound that puts him in the same category as artists that constantly put out bangers like like Uffie, Major Lazer and Thunderheist.

Zuper Blahq - Here We Go (mp3)
via The Cold Cut

Steve Aoki I'm In The House Feat. [[[Zuper Blahq]]] from Dim Mak on Vimeo.

Super-Collab-Amazing
The Blakroc Project is a rock/hip-hop collective started by the indie band The Black Keys, Damon Dash and Jim Jones. The Black Keys worked with 11 artists to create their upcoming album. The artists are Mos Def, Jim Jones, Q-Tip, Raekwon, ODB, Ludacris, RZA, Pharoache Monch, Nicole Wray, and NOE.

Blackroc ft Mos Def and Jim Jones – Ain’t Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo) (mp3)
via Audio Absinthe

Blakroc Project from Myrhax on Vimeo.

Got My Timbos On...and I'm not being ironic

Are Timberlands "Back"?

Like it or not, but musicians and actors dictate the trends for the American public. Just the appearance of a certain brand at an award show, music video or a paparazzi shot can jump start a new fashion craze.

At this past weekend, Kanye West and Lil Wayne wore the 6 inch wheat Timberland boots. It is surprising to think that a man who has his own collection of shoes will wear the same shoes as construction workers. It is also a strange coincidence that two of today's most fashionable rappers would decide to wear the same shoes.

I am not a conspiracy theorist, but product placement is very powerful.

via Dress Like Kanye West

Many fashion bloggers have claimed that Kanye West was one of the best dressed on the red carpet.
But why?

Is it because he took a risk and wore shoes that are unexpected of him?
It is because it was a hugely available shoe, which shows humbleness?
Do they know something about Timberland boots that I don't?
Is it just because it is Kanye and he is a fashion genius no matter what he wears?

Whether the choice to wear Timberland boots was done with or without the Timberland Company's consent doesn't matter, because either way the stock of the company soared on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. However, it is huge coincidence that the Timberland company happened to release a new biodegradable boot called Earthkeepers right before the Award show.

via Trendy Black Guy

Speaking personally, I never really knew of the existence or the popularity of Timberland boots until I entered into an environment that was different that I was used to. Instead of Uggs or Birkenstocks, I came across a group of girls who ALL owned bright Timberland boots. Thankfully, my parents listened to my pleas and bought me a pair of bright blue Timberland boots. As a pre-teen girl I was a victim of following a trend, just because I was told it was trend. Needless to say, the Timberland boots never became a staple in my wardrobe, but rather an unexpected blue accompaniment for matching purposes.

Are Timberland boots, the timeless hip-hop equivalent of Doc Martin boots?

Well all we can do is see how fashion unfolds and see if we will have a "new" emerging trend on our hands that was already popular and faded in our lifetime.

LIKE BOYS

Is COMME des GARCONS

the
New Louis Vuitton?

Drake is becoming a very popular name in the hip-hop community. He is the face of a new generation who becomes immensely successful before releasing a single album. His image also combines high fashion and steetwear
Last night at BET's Music Awards, most of the night was filled with tributes to Micheal Jackson. Several musicians wore red jackets and one glove in homage to the the passing of Micheal Jackson. But despite the attention given to the King of Pop, the finale was a performance by the up-and-coming rapper Drake. Because of a torn ACL, he sat down during his performance and was adorned in a red COMME des GARCONS cardigan from the PLAY collection that was released last spring. Drake was first shown wearing the black edition of the cardigan in April, but his exposure at the award show has definitely increased his connection to the brand. The collection is identified by a tiny red heart with eyes on the chest of every piece. The idea of wearing a heart on your chest was popularized when Kanye West began wearing Dee & Ricky's Lego heart brooches of hearts.

Since Kanye West came into the mainstream, he was known for his interest in the Louis Vuitton fashion line. Since his start, he has released his own sneaker collection with Louis Vuitton. Since Drake is a new, attractive and fashionable rapper, he might make COMME des GARCONS the next big trend in hip-hop. Historically brands like Supra have become popular after they have been worn at award shows.

Kanye West x Louis Vuitton 2009 Spring/Summer Collection
via Hypebeast


Louis Vuitton x Stephen Sprouse Collection
Louis Vuitton also had a collection with the deceased New York graffiti artist and fashion designer. He popularized day-glo and in the Louis Vuitton collection. Marc Jacob, the creative director of Louis Vuitton is Sprouse's graffiti is beautifully sprawled across bags, leggings, shoes and dresses in bright pink, orange and green colors.
via WWD


COMME des GARCONS PLAY Spring/Summer 2009 Collection
via SLAMXHYPE


COMME des GARCONS Spring 2010 Collection
via Hypebeast

Blueprint 3, Travis McCoy, Ninjasonik, Sa-Ra, Kid Cudi, Wayne Rocks, and Classic Kanye Videos

Jay-Z's new album, Blueprint 3 is planned to be released on 9/11

DOWNLOADS

Ninjasonik - Somebody Gonna Get Pregnant (Morsy Remix)
via bln.kr

Telephoned - Turn My Swag On (ft. Telli Federline)
via bln.kr

Telephoned - Pop Champagne
via Fools Gold

Telephoned - Can't Believe It
via Mixtape Maestro

Mickey Factz - Do My Do f. KiD CuDi
via 2dopeboyz

TimBuck2 presents: Drake Live In Chicago (Mixtape)
via Nah Right

Drake - Replacement Girl (Chuck Inglish Remix)

Mos Def - History f. Talib Kweli
via 2dopeboyz

Wale - Family Affair
via 2dopeboyz

Eminem x Spank Rock - Forgot About Coke and 11th (Starters Remix)
via Pigeons and Planes


Naledge's new album, Chicago Picasso will be relased June 30th
Naledge - Flow From the Go
Naledge - Eye of the Beholder

Lil Wayne - Told Y'all snippet

Tyga - The Potential


Sa-Ra Creative Partners' album, Nuclear Evorlution: The Age of Love will be released June 23rd
Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Bitch Baby
via 2dopeboyz

Albe Back feat. Naledge & 88-Keys - Walk On By
via Nah Right

Drake ft. Lil Wayne & Young Jeezy - I’m Goin’ In
via Nah Right

T-Pain, Travis McCoy, Tay Dizm & Young Cash - Every Girl (NB All Stars Remix)
via 2dopeboyz

Donnis - Come Along
via Nah Right

Clipse ft. Kanye West - Kinda Like A Big Deal

Trouble Andrew - Chase Money

Bobby Ray - "Put Me On" (Reebox Classic '09)
via Pigeons and Planes

Melo-X - Let It
via Pigeons and Planes

Lil Wayne ft. Gudda Gudda - Politics
via Pigeons and Planes

Ill Eagle aka Alex Ludovico - The Reawakening (mixtape)

VIDEOS


Remember the song, Spaceship from Kanye's first album. Well here is the video.

DONNIS - Watch For It Freestyle - Snack Pack Vol. 2 from DONNIS on Vimeo.

via Nah Right


via Pigeons and Planes

Labels are for cans. Warhol made cans art. Basquiat made art black

The new viral article that has been constantly been posted on twitter and peoples blogs is The Rise of The Black Hipster by Dayo Olopade. He subtitles the article, What happens when the hybrid hipster culture hits black America? I shouldn't be the one pointing the finger, because I am not an investigative journalist, but I think the writer failed to dig deeper and get into the psyche of these "new black hipsters" by learning about their perceptions of current black culture and their sense of racial identity. The way a person defines and identifies hipsters definitely differs, some people believe it is solely fashion and superficial, while other think one must fall into certain criteria regarding music, art, style (not fashion). In addition, it is a common idea that the African American community is last to catch on many mainstream trends because they choose to stick to the standards of the African American community. This is the reason why hipsters (or blipsters) are a minority in the black community. Luckily, I think most black people who are considered hipsters are genuine. This is because the hipster lifestyle is still not acceptable behavior by most black community for several reasons. Also, It takes a lot of extra effort to be interested in the music and fashion that is not pushed by black culture. But then again, some “blipster behavior” like skateboarding and skinny jeans may be a fad, but hopefully it will show young African Americans that options exists in life besides the drug/sex/violent lifestyle perpetuated in most rap and R&B music. However, I don’t not believe the blipster lifestyle is exclusive to the rock world. The very fact that it was brought to the forefront by innovative hip-hop artists like Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell Williams shows this truth. When people look at the independent nature of the pioneers of hip-hop like Afrika Bambaataa, De La Soul, Run DMC, and OutKast, one can see the same ingenuity as alternative, indie, electro and hardcore musicians. Simply liking a certain type of music will not make you a hipster, therefore it’s possible to have the lifestyle of a hipster when you are influenced by any time of music. I was most offended by the fact that the female author of this article failed to even attempt to get a female perspective of this issue. Olopade simply says, "we'll stick with men". Even though it may be easier to identify a male "blipster" based on a male-dominated stereotype. The females role is very important in a era where black women are primarily viewed as video vixens by the media. I have previously written that black women have struggled in an attempted to straddle the African American and the eurocentric sense of beauty and femininity. Hipsters of all races have changed these standards and have created an almost asexuality among females and men. I fail to get the understanding that the author understands why black youth chose to diverge from the mainstream.

This articles comes off as a piece on the newest fad, when in actuality it's lifestyle that people have been a part of long before Kanye began using autotune. Hipsters are not a new subculture that hit black America, they have always existed. People are not like scarves or certain types of pants. I believe it somewhat demeaning to African American adults who may be considered hipsters by outsiders, because they have decided to live an alternative lifestyle for several years and their life is not comparable to a surge of black teens buying skateboards after Lupe Fiasco and Pharrell.

Personally I prefer last summer's overly critical article, Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization from Adbusters. It explains more of a way of life than just a fad. It argues that this generation is a "lost generation" who are overly self-aware. Instead of treating hipsters as a new creature, it looks at the new breed created in the new millennium that lacks the true free spiritedness of its predecessors. The most poignant comment was that "symbols and icons of working or revolutionary classes that have been appropriated by hipsterdom and drained of meaning". This was striking, because this brought in class issues and gave an origin and explanation for many of the items people use to identify a hipster. It is arguable that hipsters must be well off and yearn for cheap beer in a suppressed attempt to like the less privileged. We will never know why some thing are considered cool, but I we should settle and say people like when things are cheaper and when things are not the same as the norm.

Personally, I am not a fan of the label 'hipster'. I think it is primarily used in contempt by people who are not interested in the same things as the so-called hipsters. In this sense, people use the word to bring distance to themselves and not very perceptive. The word is also used to emphasize the superficialness in others actions, however I prefer the old standby term ‘poseur’. In a negative or a positive light, I always considered a person who is called a ‘hipster’, a person who is at least knowledgeable about the music they like, not only the music that television or radio pushes on the masses. In addition, I consider them people who will set the trends for everyone else, but they begin this soon to be trend at a time when it may be considered weird.

The article, The Rise of the Black Hipster ends with, “blipsters are proof that everything old is new again”. However, I believe “blipsters” are people who believe in new creation without fear. Even though old fads like acid wash are making a comeback, free thinkers are experimental and create things that have never been seen by the masses. There is nothing wrong with being influenced by the past or people you consider cool, but a problem only exists if you continue to do things that make you feel uncomfortable only to feel accepted. Everyone craves to be accepted, but you will only feel truly welcomed if you are always yourself, because you will not commit actions under the fear that you may make a mistake and you and do something that is not to the liking of others. In addition, if you mindlessly follow trends, you will completely lose everything that makes you special and unique. This will cause you to find yourself surrounded by people that you are not alike and you will feel very alone.


read Rise of the Black Hipster HERE
read Hipster: The Dead End of Western Civilization HERE

by Chamelknee Street

Leaders Of The New Cool

My favorite info service, TWITTER, now has something called Trending Topics, which informs you about the most twitted topics of the time.

So who are the "trending artists" in hip-hop right now?
the most blogged about
the most twitted about
and hyped about artist on campuses

Big Sean
Big Sean hailing from Detroit is one of the newest artists on Kanye West's GOOD Music record label. He met Kanye West in 2005 and had his song 'Getcha Song' featured on Kayne's mixtape, since then he has also worked with Pharrell Williams. His first mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 1 was released in 2007 and his second mixtape, Finally Famous Vol. 2 was released this past April. His album, Finally Famous is planned to be released this year as well.
Big Sean - Supa Dupa (mp3)
Big Sean - Who Knows ft. Mike Posner (mp3)
Big Sean -- Finally Famous Vol. 1 (mixtape) (zip)
Big Sean - U Know Big Sean Finally Famous Vol. 2 (mixtape) (zip)

Drake
I feel like Drake is the most hyped artist right now. I think he definitely has the potential to crossover into an arena where all types of fans will like him. I first heard of Drake in the spring 2008, when I heard his verse for 'Overdose On Life', which also features, Travis McCoy and Mickey Factz. After hearing him spit, I knew the kid was a true MC. My research showed me that he was Jimmy (kid the the wheelchair) on the popular Noggin teen show Degrassi. I then download his 2006 mixtape release, Room For Improvement and his his 2007 mixtape Comeback Season. Since then he has released Heartbreak Drake and So Far Gone, which has gained the attention of the mainstream audience. I have noticed that there has been a little change in his sound over the years, but I know he will become SUCCESSFUL if he stays true to who he is. When I think of Drake, I think of a attractive young guys, who hails from Canada, but in greatly influenced by Houston rap and artists like Lil Wayne and Trey Songs. Drake has managed to gain suburban teenage fans who know him from Degrassi and urban fans who know him from the songs he has been featured on with Lil Wayne. It is rare to see a young artist with such a broad following before releasing an album. Drake is a triple threat because of his singing, rapping, and acting, which he all does very well. If he could also dance, he would be the male Beyonce. lol
Drake -- Take You Down (mp3)
Download all his mixtapes at the mixtape section on the right

The artists above are all talented, but I am always most impressed when an artists has talent and originality. This because a lot of people can lyrical skill, but it real artistry when you can make your music your own.


So here is my list of upcoming musicians who will "change the game":

Kid Cudi
I'll make this brief, because you probably have heard of his name, but you haven't heard of ALL of his music. He was made popular, when Crookers did a remix of his single, Day n Nite. In 2008, he released the mixtape, A Kid Named Cudi exclusively at 10.Deep's website. In April he released Dat Kid From Cleveland. As the title of the mixtape says, Kid Cudi is showing the world that good hip-hop comes from places in the midwest besides Chicago. He chooses to rap over all times of beats like LCD Soundsystem, Ratatat, and N.E.R.D without name dropping to gain popularity. Kid Cudi is a breath of fresh air to the rap game, from his Justice x Surface 2 Air leather jacket, to his lyrical content to his remixes. Kid Cudi is not a one his wonder, he is just wondering why you haven't tried to hear the rest of his amazing music.
His album, Man on the Moon, will be released August 25th

Kid Cudi -- Plain Pat & Emile Presents a KiD named CuDi (mixtape) (zip)
Kid Cudi -- Dat Kid From Cleveland (mixtape) (zip)
Kid Cudi -- The Anthem Mixtape The Best of Kid Cudi (w/ music, video, pictures and wallpaper) (zip)

via Cudi Fresh


Hollywood Holt
As a resident of Chicago, I could never forget to mention the Hollywood Holt. This dude doesn't try to be anyone but himself. That means he is a breakdancing, moped riding, four-finger ring wearing, tatted up rock star who loves to juke them hoes. This summer he is touring with Lady Sovereign and Chester French and in the past he toured with Kid Cudi.

Hollywood Holt -- Hollywood (mp3)
Hollywood Holt -- Throw A Kit On That Bitch (mp3)
His mixtape, Holt Goes To Hollywood is no longer downloadable, but you can still hear all of his tracks online.




Ninjasonik
Hailing from Brooklyn and expressing it to the fullest, Ninjasonik is a hip-hop group who has a punk rock lifestyle. Ninjasonik is the group that tours with REAL punk rock bands. They have shows with the same face to face contact as a basement rock show, they crowd surf all the time, and they even skateboard and drink Sparks. They also have songs about their extremely tight pants and their love of art school girls. They have released the Tight Pants EP on Brooklyn's Cheif Records and are constantly releasing new songs on their myspace page. So check out their music, check their twitter and go to one of theirs shows, because they are a force to be reckoned with.

Buy The Tight Pants EP HERE
Ninjasonik -- Tight Pants (mp3)
Ninjasonik -- Negative Thinking Tight Pants (mp3)
Ninjasonik -- The Mix 1 (mixtape) (zip)
Ninjasonik -- The Mix 2 (mixtape) (zip)


via Ninjafahkinsonik Youtube Page


Theophilus London
Theophilus London is another artist that proves that Chicago's biggest competition for having LEADERS OF THE NEW SCHOOL is Brooklyn artists. He is the type of artist that makes you forget completely about what genre of music you are listening to, until you are woken up by his fierce rhymes and flow. Theophilus takes MCs to a new level by using classic beats in a very unconventional manner. He recently modeled the Fall '08 line for the popular streetwear brand, Rocksmith and is known for having his own unique fashion style.

Theophilus London - JAM! (mp3)
Theophilus London - Leader of the New School (mp3)
Theophilus London -- Jam! (mixtape) (zip)
Theophilus London--This Charming Mixtape (mixtape) (zip)









Travis McCoy
He is currently the rapper/lead singer of upstate New York's Gym Class Heroes, which is a band that had a lot changes in the way that they sound since their first independently album, ...For The Kids came out in 2004, whether is is personal "maturity" or industry influence, the group has went through a lot of transformations. However outside of his main project, Travis McCoy has had several impressive side projects over the years. One project is Bernie Allen with DJ Sie-1, who produced the mixtape, Who Is Bernie Allen. The other is Tequila Mockingbird with Nicholas Scimeca (partner of the successful music oriented Angel & Kings nightclubs). Besides his work with others, he is venturing out on is own with a solo career and he already has a deal on T-Pains record label (whom he toured with this past winter).

Travis McCoy -- Can't Wait feat. Stress (mp3)
Travis McCoy -- Let's Get In On (mp3)
Bernie Allen -- Who Is Bernie Allen (mixtape) (zip)
Tequila Mockingbird -- Snowglobe (mp3)
Gym Class Heroes -- ...For The Kids (1st GCH album that is not sold in stores) (zip)


via 2dopeboyz


Tyga
He is Travis McCoy's cousin and is an hip-hop artist on Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment and also Decaydance Records, which mostly supports alternative bands. The fact that Tyga is signed to two very different record label shows that he is a very unique rapper and that he has the opportunity to do things that have never been done before. He is best known for his song, 'Coconut Juice', which features Travis McCoy. I read a YouTube comment for the video, that said it was confusing for Lil Wayne to be in the video because Tyga was a 'rocker', which meant he couldn't be a rapper. It is very rare for someone so mix up a rapper with a rock musician, so I was impressed to see he achieved such a mix up. Tyga shows his fans that your image is unrelated to the musical content you put out.
Buy his album, No Introduction HERE
Download all his mixtapes at the mixtape section on the right

via 2dopeboyz


Shwayze
Shwayze is hip-hop musician from Malibu, California that connects hip-hop with alternative music. Shwayze is technically the name of a solo artist, but all of his songs feature Cisco Adler. They are best know for their song, Buzzin and they had a MTV reality show with the same name. When people think of California hip-hop, they think about the gangster rap of Oakland and Longbeach, but Shwayze makes music that goes with the laid back side of California is that usually represented with more rock artists than hip-hop. Shwayze's first studio album, Shwayze, got a lot of attention and reached to the 10th Billboard chart position. It rumoured that their new single 'Rock n Roll', which has been remixed by Kanye West and The Knux will be on a new album titled that will be released in May.
Buy the self-titled album, Shwayze HERE


via Rah Almillio twitpics

The Knux
Hailing form New Orleans but commonly associated with Los Angeles, The Knux takes their individuality to a whole new level. Best of all, its not superficial by any means. This can be told from their music, they ability to play instruments, their associations with people like Steve Aoki, and from personal conversations I had with the guys. These fellas are no joke. This is the type of hip-hop group that can name their favorite old-school hip-hop artists, punk rock bands, indie bands and the biggest house and Drum n Bass songs without blinking an eye. They talk about they're real life experiences and even throw in New Orleans references that might seem esoteric to some fans. They have opened shows for Q-Tip, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Nas, The Roots, Shwayze and The Cool Kids; and now they're finally headlining their own shows.
Buy the album, Remind Me In Three Days HERE


Curren$y
Truthfully, I have never been a fan of many artist that come out of the south. Its not like there's not a lot talent, because it definitely exists. But the rap that is usually produced isn't my cup of tea. In a recent live interview I saw Curren$y conduct with 2cents and Crescent City Radio, he admitted that in past he tried to be a person that wasn't himself and now he's finally being himself. Now I know this is a line that commonly quoted by artists of all genres, but I believe it from Curren$y. I can tell from his lyrical content to the people featured on his NEW album. His first official album, This Aint No Mixtape, features fellow up-and-coming artists like Mickey Factz, Trademark Da Skydiver and Amanda Diva. Until now, Curren$y was known for his MANY mixtapes like 'Independence Day', 'Life At 30,000 Feet', and 'Fast Times At Ridgemont Fly'. The song that really sold me was 'Modern Day Hippie' from the mixtape, Fast Times At Ridgemont Fly. It's a quality song that he used the term 'hippie' and not an overworked term like 'rocker'' to express his individuality. Hippies were known for being nonconformists who took drugs and that's a simple way to describe Curren$y. Curren$y is the type of rapper than you'll randomly see in New Orleans at Fresh Prince night at The Republic or at Streetwear Sundays. He was also featured in 10.Deep's "Nineteen Ninety-Now" lookbook for their Spring '09 collection. To New Orleans he's a common face, but in the future I know his music will be known all over the place.

Download his mixtapes HERE
Buy his new first official cd, This Aint No Mixtape HERE



omg what a coincide?
THE KNUX, CURREN$Y AND TYGA will performing TOGETHER
in NEW ORLEAN'S HOWLIN WOLF ON THIS SATURDAY MAY 9 AT 8 PM.
The event is called the Grand Expo Benefit Concert. It will feature The Knux, Tyga, Curren$y, Slang Angus, S.O.U.L. FRESH, Team Robot and N.O. Capo. The host will be Wild Wayne from Q93 and Force Feed Radio and Dj Spin will dj. The Howlin Wolf is at 907 SOUTH PETERS in New Orleans, Louisiana and it will be extremely packed. All proceeds of this benefit will go to the 7th Ward Neighborhood Center, which helps restore New Orleans' 7th Ward. The event will also have free giveaways from Nike SB, Crooks N Castles, Married To the Mobb, Fresh Produce Daily and Fat Kids With Cake.

Before the show, The Knux will be on channel 6 at 9:30 am for an interview, then they will be PEACHES RECORDS for a meet & greet at 2pm. After the show, there will be an afterparty at The Republic (828 South Peters St) with special guests The Knux, Tyga, Curren$y, Drake, Dee-1, Team Robot, S.O.U.L. Fresh, Scooter and Detroit.

Drake will also be in town that day and even though I LOVE his music, I would rather see a show where everyone on the bill is really cutting edge, from the main acts to the the local acts like Team Robot (with Cypher and Lu Smith) and S.O.U.L FRESH.

Cypher -- Forty Four Tours (mixtape)
S.O.U.L FRESH--I Don't Want To Grow Up (mp3)



TEAM ROBOT
S.O.U.L. FRESH








Photos via STICKYFINGERZ

Melknee the RnR Ninja

would you rather have 100% from a follower or 10% from a leader

Air Yeezy x Leaders 1354 x J Sakiya x Kanye West

Chicago's premiere streetwear store, Leaders 1354 teamed up with the creator of Kanye West's book, Thank You & You're Welcome by J Sakiya to make a special edition shirt that perfectly matches one of the Air Yeezy colorways (it even glows in the dark). The name of the shirt actually comes from a line of Kanye West's book. The shirt retails for $45, which is cheap compared to it's matching shoes, and it will be sold throughout Chicago.
Everyone outside of the windy city can buy it at the Leaders 1354's website
via Fake Shore Drive

I feel better knowing tha my crew is original. Negative Thinking

WHATS YOUR "CREW" LIKE?

Does it only consist of people who are just like you?
Does it only consist of people who are different than you?
Does it only consist of people who are nice to you?
Does it only consist of people you want to be like?
Does it only consist of people who will help you succeed and won't "bring you down"?
Does it only consist of people who "get" you and stuff your into?
Is your whole crew the same race?
Is your whole crew the same gender?

Does your crew dress alike?
Does your crew have tattoos and piercings?
Does your crew make good grades?
Does your crew work together?
Does anyone say your crew is "too big"?
Does your whole crew have the same goals?
If we were in high school, would your crew be "The Cool Kids" of the school?
Does your crew stand out in the crowd?
Is your crew "ahead of the trends"?
Does your crew make the trends?
Is your crew from the same city?
If needed, would your crew already have a 'classic crew shot' ready?

Is there a leader of the crew?
Does everyone in your have a talent?
Does your crew trying to "make it big"?
Does your crew have projects? i.e. music group, clothing line, dance crew, graffiti crew ect.
Does everyone in your crew have a role? i.e. cute one, shy one ect.

I spent way too much time looking for pictures of "crews" on facebook and this is what I found:

I personally think Chicago crews dictate the trends whether people are watching from Indiana, New Orleans, NYC or LA, but hey I'm biased, because I think I'm from a city in the midwest, the best city in the whole wide world.

However every city has club promoter crews, streetwear store owner crews, tagging crews, hypebeast crews, AZN crews, hip-hop crews and scene kid crews.

I think my new favorite crew is called Chipped Red Polish. It's an all female and Chicago based group that "focuses on supporting today's artisic cuture. Through they're own creative passions, networking, and promotion of different genres".

The founders are Drea, who is one half of He Say She Say, and JoJo. Other members are Cess a fashion designer, Gianna a musician, Victoria a fashion and graphic designer, Jenny a fashion designer and journalist, Arica in marketing and nightlife, Lauren a graphic designer, and Michelle is an artist .

Some "jams" about Chicago:

Bin Ladn Blowin Up-Chi Dont Dance (mp3)

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)"

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)" (Million $ Mano Rave Remix) (mp3)

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)" (Kali Remix) (mp3)

Naledge - "I'm In Chicago (Bitch)" (Conair Remix) (mp3)

However I did hear something very good in New Orleans news today. I knew I was going to have a good Fall 2009 when I got a tweet today from Voodoo Experience 2009. It said, City Park has agreed to have Voodoo Experience during Halloween Weekend (October 30-Nov 1 2009). In the past couple of weeks, there has been a lot of worry that Voodoo wouldn't take place this year. This is because City Park's chief operating official said the park wasn't available Halloween weekend. However today's news cleared up any doubt. So far the only announced artist is Kiss, who is one of the headliners. But non-classic rock fans don't need to worry because every year Voodoo has great artists from several genres. Since I've been In New Orleans, Voodoo Experience has had some of the biggest acts come from Lil Wayne to M.I.A. to Gym Class Heroes to Kings of Leon to Common. Chicago has Lalapalooza, Austin has SXSW, California has Cochella, Tennessee has Bonnaroo, and New Orleans has Voodoo and I'm excited to experience it.

Melknee