Friday, December 31, 2010

Nas Calls Obama Is the Chosen One



Via MTV

J Cole Tops S.O.B.’s Top Shows Of 2010



1. J. Cole w/ Surprise Guests Talib Kweli, Hi-Tek & Young Chris
(March 30th)

2. Fat Joe w/ Surprise Guests Joell, Redman, Buck shot, Juru the Damaja, MOP, DJ Premier, Mic Geronimo & Diamond D
(July 27th)

3. Nneka
(February 2nd)

4. Bun B w/ Surprise Guests Lupe Fiasco, Big Daddy Kane, Wale, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Termonology & Slim Thug
(June 2nd)

5. Eric Roberson
(July 29th)

6. El Debarge w/ Surprise Guest Chico DeBarge
(October 6th)

7. Marsha Ambrosius & Teedra Moses
(November 18th)

8. Joe Budden
(August 10th)

9. Ryan Leslie w/ Surprise Guests Lloyd Banks & Fabolous
(Novemeber 22nd)

10. Los Amigos Invisibles
(April 29th)

Via Rapradar

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Dream Hampton Speaks On Decoded

Watch the full episode. See more Need To Know.



Jay-Z's Co-author the ever honorable Dream Hampton gives her thoughts on their collaboration Decoded which is available in Stores now!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Nas Serves Christmas Dinner In Harlem Video

Nas Feeds Families for the Holidays





Nas helped make the season a little brighter for families affected with HIV/AIDS. The rapper, along with restaurateur Melba Wilson, served up holiday meals to over 250 people and their relatives at his second annual dinner at Melba’s 125 in Harlem on Wednesday (Dec. 22). Nas and Damian Marley will head on an overseas tour next year, playing dates in New Zealand in February in support of their collaborative album Distant Relatives.

Via Rap-up

Best Music 2010 according to J. Cole



Jay Electronica & Mtn Dew Code Red



Via Rapradar

(YOUNG GUNZ) PERFORMANCE AT SOBS



Young Gunz opened for Yelawolf along with Lloyd Banks at SOB last night. Unfortunately Young Chris had a seizure and was hospitalized and they had to cut their performance short. He tweeted this morning stating that he was well and seems to be recovering.

J. Cole x Bootleg Kev



J is nice!!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Nas Fans Create Lost Tapes Petition




Fans of Nas have created WeNeedLostTapes2.com, a petition for Def Jam hoping to persuading them into releasing the collection of songs.

To: Def Jam

Dear Def Jam,

We the fans of Nasir Jones, have been waiting for the follow-up to the 2002 classic "Lost Tapes". This was a record of compiled tracks that did not make Nas albums, but put together for the sake of the fans. Since its release almost a decade ago, it has received critical acclaim and quickly became a fan favorite.

It has come to our attention that Nas has in fact completed the follow-up, titled "Lost Tapes 2", and is waiting for you (Def Jam) to green-light the project and give it a release date. We do not like to go into speculation and rumors, but it seems as though you do not want to release Lost Tapes 2 because you don't want it to count as an official album since Nas only has 2 more albums left to fulfill his contractual obligation to Def Jam.

Like the Lupe Fiasco fans, we understand how important it is to support the artists that still strive to bring creativity and artistic integrity back to the forefront of Hip-Hop. Nas is a hip-hop legend whose career has lasted nearly 20 years and deserves to be treated as such.

We ask that you give the people what they want and release Lost Tapes 2 to the fans.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Via hiphopdx.com

Monday, December 20, 2010

Jay-Z x Play Cloths



Via Play Cloths Blog

Shade 45 to air one of Eminem and Jay-Z's Concerts




Today Eminem announced that his radio station Shade 45 will broadcast one of his shows with Jay-Z on New Years Eve as a treat for his fans.

"As a special treat, for the listeners and the fans who missed the Home and Home concerts with me and Jay-Z, Shade 45 is gonna air my performance from the Detroit show this New Year's Eve at 8 p.m.," Em said.

2010 shaped out to be a remarkable year for both Eminem and Jay-Z with one of their highlights being their Home and Home Concerts where they performed 4 shows two in each artist's hometown, Detroit and New York.

This is going to be a great treat for all their fans and hopefully a great transition into the new year for both Jay-Z and Eminem.

Via MTV

Nas Teams With HIV/AIDS Org



Nas as always doing great and positive deeds for the community. Hiphop has really grown up below is an excerpt from the allhiphop article.

On Wednesday (December 22nd), Nas will join HIV/AIDS activist Maria Davis, restaurateur Melba Wilson and the Souls of My Sisters Books/Kensington Publishing Corp. to support the event, which will provide Christmas dinner to families infected and impacted by HIV/AIDS.

The 2nd Annual Christmas Dinner will serve cooked meals by Melba's 125 Restaurant, for over 250 family members and their support systems.

Via Allhiphop

Jay-Z’s ‘Decoded App



With the success of his book Decoded an App has been released as an extension of the book. There are two versions of the application the basic, which is $9.99 which will allow users to choose ten songs to decode and the upgraded version, which is $24.99 in which you are able to view the full text of the book along with all the featured extras.

Via Longislandpress

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Julian Benbow's top 10 hip-hop CDs of 2010




KANYE WEST “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’’ He took a year off to gather up all the ingredients (the boom-bap of “College Dropout,’’ the instrumentation of “Late Registration,’’ the polish of “Graduation,’’ the Auto-tuned emotion of “808s & Heartbreak,’’ the pain of family tragedy, a shattered engagement, a VMA implosion, a dash of the RZA, some Mobb Deep, some Michael Jackson, some Bon Iver) and voila! Pop culture’s public enemy No. 1 makes rap’s “Thriller.’’ (Thirty-five-minute movie and all!)

NAS AND DAMIAN MARLEY “Distant Relatives’’ The chemistry oozed out of them. Growing more and more politically charged, Nas uses Marley almost as a sounding board to explore slavery, history, truth, fiction, and conspiracy theories, and the two of them could go back and forth forever.

Read the rest of the article Boston.com

Friday, December 17, 2010

RESPECT. Jay Electronica Story



Image: Anna Bauer

Do This My Way
NOLA’s Jay Electronica wants to be successful. But on his own terms. And, in his most candid interview to date, in his own words.
As Told To Elliott Wilson


By the time you read this: Jay Electronica may have, at long last, landed a record deal. Or not. It’s hard to predict the future of the enigmatic MC who electrified the rap world from the end of ’09 to early 2010 with a song called “Exhibit C.” Produced by Just Blaze, who broke the record while guest-hosting Tony Touch’s Shade 45 Sirius show, the soulful sonic boom ushered in the rise of this NOLA brother with the Nas flow—captivatingly complex lyrics and vivid storytelling.

After being wooed by the record industry’s biggest execs for a year Elect is still, at press time, a free agent. But recent dealings with Mr. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter may be changing that. In his modest Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn apartment, the man born Timothy Thedford spoke for over three hours about his almost Forrest Gump-like journey through this thing called life. Aiming to do justice to his jam-packed existence, RESPECT. hosts Electronica unfiltered. Here’s a toast to a true original.

“My light is brilliant.”

“Exhibit C” magnified everything. Everybody was coming at one time. I’m the kind of person where if I get to a point where I can’t make this decision then I’m gonna stand still. I don’t care. I’ll stand still for two years, 20 years. I’m 34 years old. I’m still learning myself, but I know myself a little bit, so I stand still. People was telling me, “Oh, you buggin’, this is the time.”

By the time March [2010] came, it was crazy. I coulda signed any kinda deal at that time. I coulda took these publishing companies to the cleaners. I met anybody you can think of. Like, I’m gonna entertain what you sayin’, but we already have a fundamental disagreement in the way that we view the music business and the treatment of people, period. I need to feel like I’m talking to my grandmother. I need to feel like I’m talking to my sister or my mama to feel comfortable. If I’m not at that comfort level then I’m completely uncomfortable.

(Universal Records CEO) Monte Lipman was the first person that visited me. He was supposed to come by himself. He came with his whole office, and Mr. Chow’s or Philippe’s. I don’t even know what that is. I was like, Is this a surprise attack? He came in, walked around the apartment like he owned it. He said, “Yeah well we here today, I came here to make you a rich man today.” He said them exact words. I said, “Hold on man, first of all,” and I gave him the history of the white man 6,000 years ago to now, and let him know, “Wait a minute, my man, you’re in my house. You are a guest in my home.”

He seemed like a decent human but everyone got their character defects and flaws and he behaved exactly how I expected him to behave, which was unacceptable. We had a long talk though, and left on good terms, but I thought he wouldn’t ever wanna see me again. Instead he was excited. He told my man he never had a meeting like that since Prince.

I would have genuine talks with music execs. And some would agree with me on anything. I would intentionally be saying genuine things and then five minutes later say a disingenuous thing that was completely contradictory, and they would still be agreeing. That turned me completely off. I don’t wanna deal with any of that. I was just thinking about goin’ back to the plan. I started going back to Act II.

I’ve been all over the country. I’ve lived in a lot of cities on the East Coast, the Midwest, Denver. If I need a break—every environment is a home environment. So going over [to London] this summer wasn’t foreign. With all this music that I’ve been listening to for Act II, I wanted to go somewhere to sit down and go over it.

While we were over there, XL, the label, was saying if there was any kinda way we could work together. They were the first who approached me on a totally different level. Presented me with the best thing so far. In terms of money, the splits, the who owned what. They really get what Jay Electronica is. I ain’t sitting on a catalog of 80 records; if I’m sitting on a catalog of 20 records, you better believe me that these 20 records are gonna last till 2030, 2050.

I didn’t wanna come back to New York in September, but I did because I’m working on a lot of stuff and I got a daughter now. I still didn’t have no intentions on doing no deal with nobody. Closest thing was the XL situation. People know I fuck with Puff but nothing materialized from that in terms of record deal.

“I got the rap game singin’ ‘At Last’ like Etta James.”

One night, I bumped into Jay-Z at the Spotted Pig; it was [Atlantic Records COO] Julie Greenwald’s birthday party. I was like, “What is it gonna take for us to do a song together?” He was like, “You know, if I feel the record.” So, I sent it to him the next morning and later I emailed him again like, “This would be crazy if you could get in on it.” He was like, “I’m already in 10 bars. Can I go over 16?”

The song is two parts. The first movement is “Dinner At Tiffany’s,” which is composed by James Samuel of The Bullets. He’s a filmmaker/musician from the U.K. He composed the strings. We originally were trying to get Julie Andrews, but we were honored to get Charlotte Gainsbourg. That leads right into “Shiny Suit Theory,” which relates directly to Puff because nobody got through to my head the way he did.

Puff can make a statement like “Fuck the underground,” which is a blasphemous statement in rap. But he doesn’t mean that as a diss. He means, “We’re supposed to be out here shining.” Maybe I’m never gonna see the value of a Grammy. But for somebody to be able to show me the value of it, what it means for people to see you get that, and the inspiration of it. It’s like the Saints winning the Super Bowl. Yeah it’s only a fuckin’ game but what it does for the city, what it does for the people…

So the setting behind “The Shiny Suit Theory” song, is Jay-Z and I are each talking to our shrinks. We’re going through our feelings. Jay-Z goes, “Went from warring to Warren (Buffet), undercovers to (magazine) covers. If you believe in that sorta luck, your screws need adjusting. In the world of no justice and Black ladies on the back of buses, I’m the immaculate conception of rapper slash hustlers.”

So after we did the song, we sat down, kicked it, he started telling me what his idea of what Roc Nation was, what his goals are. It made a lot of sense, but I checked myself. It wasn’t just, Oh, I’m with Jay. We went to see the Gorillaz at the Madison Square Garden probably about a week later. More business talk. At this point, we got the lawyers trying to figure out what was the best, proper, possible way for us to work.

Birdman, he reached out recently. And naturally, based on the kinda music I do, based on the trajectory of my career, that doesn’t seem like a good fit. However: If I say, “I like Baby as a rapper,” people say, “I don’t get it.” People forget where I’m from. You forget how that shit is connected. But one thing about Baby is I could communicate to him in a language that he’s gonna feel me. He knows my circumstance. I told him I respect him, but I’m in talks with Jay. And he told me flat out, “I’ll match what anybody’s saying. I’ll beat what anybody’s saying.” But the reason why I would even entertain that is not because it’s Cash Money. Aesthetically, I don’t fit with that. But if we can connect, then we can get over any kind of hurdle.

“I’m back home scannin’ the land. Twenty-three million square miles of contraband.”


My family is from the Third Ward. Magnolia. Growing up in that environment, there ain’t no in-between. Either you was out there in that, or you wasn’t out there in that. I went to Catholic school, so my whole day I’m in a whole ‘nother environment, seeing shit that I don’t even know like, Oh, look two people pick him up, his mama and his daddy. Then I’m back in the projects, coming home with the uniform on. I get in a fight because I got on the uniform. Then I’m inside. I don’t really wanna go outside. Them niggas outside they wanna throw bricks in cars and, don’t get me wrong, I’ll go do it, but that just wasn’t me.

I always had delusions of grandeur, they called it, when I was little. I had a shrink when I was 8. It was always that I was just living unrealistic in my head. I tried to go to college for my mom and my grandmother because I graduated from St. Augustine High School, an all-boys school, a military school. I went to college for a semester. Northwestern State/University of Louisiana. I was pretty known on campus, used to do stupid shit, but I got caught. I got kicked out.

I came back to New Orleans and I didn’t know what to do. Everybody else was like, “Oh we out here hustling.” I started sniffing coke a little bit. I never shot up. Anyway, I was just lingering. I started hearing about some Million Man March. I didn’t really know who Louis Farrakhan was. I was raised in a Baptist church. All of a sudden people were protesting in the city. All these pastors from the churches, whether they were black or white. On the radio they was saying [Farrakhan] was the Antichrist and he was the devil. I’m like, Who is this dude?

Then one day I go to Xavier University’s campus, and there was a dude who was a Muslim, he was out there talking to some people about the Million Man March and why they should go and I was like, Let me see this. This particular man was actually living 100 percent of that word, and it was reflected in him. I paid for a ticket. I was on the bus and I didn’t know most of the people with me, nobody except one dude, Peter. We went there. New Orleans to D.C.

We went with the Muslims from my city, so they’re out there setting barricades. I was out there early in the morning with them in the front, waiting for this thing to go down, not knowing who Farrakhan is. I got on somebody’s shoulders and looked—far as you can see: black men. That nobody was fighting, we were out there crying. I didn’t even hear what Farrakhan said at the Million Man March because I was so captivated.

Eventually, I went to Chicago to join the Nation. I coulda joined in Atlanta, where I was living, but I always been the kinda person that asks, “Where’s the headquarters?” So, boom, I uprooted, left my apartment, back to square-one homeless, because I had to join the Nation. I went through processing class—13 weeks—moved through the ranks, became a lieutenant. I stayed out there the whole year. Then my man Peter came to Chicago. We became roommates, and around Christmastime, he wanted to go home, so I said, “Okay I’ll go home too.” We went down there, and then I didn’t wanna go back to Chicago. The weather was killing me. I went [back] to Atlanta because I lived there before. Being back in Atlanta made me feel like, Okay, now I’m going to New York.

I ended up goin’ back and forth there a couple of times. In New York, of course I was homeless, but it wasn’t new to me. I done went to a couple cities, including Detroit, and went from scratch a couple of times. Rashad “Tumblin Dice” Smith was the first person in New York that was like, “Yo, everybody look, let me tell you something right here: I’m gonna hook you up with such and such, we gonna try to get this meeting.” He hooked up a meeting with [Universal Records VP] Sylvia Rhone, and I met Erykah [Badu] around the same time.

Tone from Track Masters was a hater. He was in my meeting with Sylvia sitting there, like, “But I don’t get it, who are you? Where you from?” And I’m like, “I’m from New Orleans. I’m Nation, I’m street, I don’t know nothing about the industry.” So Sylvia’s jammin’ to the music and he’s like, “Oh I’m just saying, you’re from New Orleans, but you dressing like a New York nigga.” So we had an exchange up there and I stopped hearing from them.

I just went lights out. Even after I got into a relationship with Erykah, I could’ve used that, but I was under the radar. I was going through a transition, getting out of the Nation, doing things I hadn’t done in a long time. I started smoking again. I’m back in a relationship. This is the first time I’ve been in a relationship that’s outside the government of the Nation.

I just went completely personal, and I just devoted my whole self—really, a lot to Erykah. Traveling wherever she wanted to go, helping her with her stuff, just pulling myself. Then, you know, by the time Act I came out, I was in Brooklyn at her place while she was in Dallas.

To this day, I have a certain life that I want for myself, that I want for my children. I say my children because I have a daughter, Mars, but Erykah has other two children. I’ve been in their lives for as long as they can remember too, so they’re like my children—with respect to their fathers who are their biological fathers and are good fathers to them, and in their lives.

I like to drive, but I also like to be driven. I want a driver. That’s not wrong for me to say. I want a driver. I want a nice vehicle with a driver and a certain type of a lifestyle. I want a certain collection of a certain type of suits that I like to see myself in. Whether they designer or not, they fit me a certain way.

Via Rapradar

Kanye West! MTV's Man Of The Year





Via MTV

Kanye West one of MTV's Top Producers 2010



Via MTV

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Nas and Damian Marley Announce 2011 International Tour Dates



Check out the full list of dates and locations below. Purchase tickets from the Distant Relatives’ website http://www.distantrelatives.com/Appearances.

Distant Relatives
02/09 – Kona Bowl (Kailua-Kona, HI)
02/12 – Centennial Park (Sydney, Australia)
02/13 – Flemington Racecourse – The Nursery (Flemington, Austrailia)
02/16 – TSB Bank Area (Wellington, New Zealand)
02/17 – Logan Campbell Centre (Auckland, New Zealand)
02/19 – Parkland Showgrounds (Gold Coast, Australia)
02/20 – Claremont Showground (Claremont, Australia)
02/23 – MP Hall (Osaka, Japan)
02/24 – Zepp (Tokyo, Japan)
02/25 – Bay Hall (Yokohama, Japan)
02/26 – Kakaako Beach Park Amphitheater (Honolulu, HI)
02/27 – Maui Arts and Cultural Center (Maui, HI)

Nas
03/22 – Circus Nightclub (Helsinki, Finland)
03/23 – Samfunnet (Bodo, Norway)
03/24 – Verkstedet (Tromso, Norway)
03/25 – Samfundet (Trondheim, Norway)
03/26 – USF Verftet (Bergen, Norway)
03/27 – Folken (Stavanger, Norway)
03/29 – Sentrum Scene (Oslo, Norway)

Distant Relatives
03/13 – Wembley Arena (London, UK)
04/01 – Glasgow O2 Academy (Glasgow, UK)
04/02 – Manchester Apollo (Manchester, UK)
04/04 – Ancienne Belgique (Brussels, Belgium)
04/05 – Zenith (Paris, France)
04/07 – Caprices Festival (Crans Montana, Switzerland)
04/08 – Komplex (Zurich, Switzerland)
04/09 – Palasharp (Milan, Italy)
04/11 – Paradiso (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
04/14 – Atlantico Pavilion (Lisbon, Portugal)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Nas – No Idea’s Original: The Nas Remixes (Mixtape)


1. U Gotta Luv It – Produced by Mondee
2. God Loves Us – Produced by Commander Black
3. Surviving The Times – Produced by BT
4. Purple – Produced by Jony Fraze
5. Fast Life – Produced by Geng Grizzly
6. No Idea’s Original – Produced by Large Professor
7. Hey Nas – Produced by Shinobi Ninja
8. Ur Da Man – Produced by 2 Hungry Bros
9. Ur Da Man – Produced by Face Valyou
10. Zone Out – Produced by Mondee
11. Mastermind – Produced by Steel
12. The General (Salute Me) – Produced by BT
13. Nas Is Like – Produced by Dr. Butcher & Rob Swift
14. Rewind – Produced by Face Valyou
15. Thiefs Theme – Produced by Tes Uno
16. Destroy & Rebuild – Produced by Rugged One
17. Affirmative Action – Produced by Kon
18. Bridging The Gap – Produced by Shiftee


This is Super Dope!!

DOWNLOAD LINK

Via 2dopeboyz

RESPECT Magazine. J.Cole Feature


Image: Dustin Cohen

Still don’t like the Waka cover? Well tough cookie. This is probably more up your alley. A profile of Jermaine Cole conducted on the eve of the release of his Friday Night Lights mixtape. Peep what the Roc Boy’s got up his sleeve.

Stick To Ya Gunz
J.Cole, the first hip-hop artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, is notoriously guarded. Still, he can’t hide the fact that 2011 will be the year he earns his place in hip-hop history with a classic rap debut.
Words: Elliott Wilson


J.Cole hates telling Jay-Z stories. J.Cole is private. He’s protective of his own personal and professional life. So the young North Carolina MC with the young company by the name of Dreamville is even more reticent about leaking any information related to Shawn Carter.

But still. What happened on September 28, 2010, may just have changed the course of one of hip-hop’s most promising careers. So Jermaine Lamarr Cole’s got a story to tell.

On that Tuesday, New York City’s Radio City Music Hall was rockin’. Drake brought Cole out on the main stage: special surprise guest. For over a year, the Internet has been flooded with rumors and hearsay pitting these two MCs against each other. The bloggers and the commenters want rivals (rivalries equal traffic), dreams of lyrical chokeholds and grimy subliminals, of who got ethered and who’s the best ever. Of who’s famous vs. who’s Internet-famous. So it was mesmerizing to see Drake and Cole say eff all that and effortlessly co-exist, join forces and electrify the crowd. If these two dudes didn’t really like each other, it was hard to tell.

But you couldn’t blame Cole if he was a tad distracted.

That very afternoon before the show, in the bedroom of his Big Apple apartment, Cole recorded a new song. He instantly thought: This is that one. This could be the hit that raises his profile and brings his dream of releasing a classic debut album to the masses.

“There’s a producer,” he says. “Brian Kidd—who lives in Atlanta on a fuckin’ hill. He played me some of the most incredible beats I’ve ever heard,” Cole says this while on a tour bus rolling through Washington, D.C. It’s late October and he’s on the way to a Howard University Homecoming gig on a Saturday night. “About the fourth one Kidd played, I knew right away. I started writing right there. And finished it on a plane back to New York.”

So: Cole is in NYC, that Tuesday night after the Drake show. Inspired by his Dreamville business partner Ibrahim H., a guy he’s been down with since his St. John’s University college days, Cole decided to hunt down Mr. Carter. Texts are exchanged and then Cole is headed over to a fancy East Village nightclub called Butter, where a birthday celebration for Young Jeezy was dying down. “He was upstairs eating, like the Godfather, by himself at a table. I walked up to him. I ain’t have too many words. I was like, ‘Yo I think I got something special, I just need you to hear it.’ I told him I wanted Trey Songz to get on the hook and I handed him my iPod. His reaction was so fuckin’ crazy. That was probably the craziest reaction I ever got from him on any song.”

Hov’s scrunched up face and exuberant exclaims enforced that the decision Cole made to force a meeting was correct. “Out of all the songs I brought him I think that’s what he was lookin’ for,” Cole says. “It’s something I’d never done, a different sound. Like nothing I’ve done—but in a great way. This is the culmination of all lessons. I stepped out of my own box. This record will open up so many doors for me.”


October 6, 2010.
New York City. A day before Cole’s takes off on a 35-city Fall U.S. tour with no name.

What’s the status of the album?
Man, I thought my album would’ve been out right around now. But one thing I’ve learned in this game is you never know anything. I remember when they gave me the release date of October 26. I was so hyped. But I soon knew that wasn’t gonna happen. I haven’t even had a consistent three weeks in the studio. I’m blessed enough to be able to go out on the road. I get a good week in the studio but then I’m off for a show. But I still managed to pull off what I think is an incredible album.

How did “Who Dat” end up becoming the first release?

Everyone at Roc Nation was asking, ‘Can we work something?’ and ‘Who Dat’ was the first record I did that had this incredible energy about it. My team in the studio was like, Whoa, this sounds special. I don’t know if it’s a single, but damn this just sounds special. It stood out immediately. My manager, Mark Pitts, always says that on your first one all you gotta do is strike a nerve. It don’t gotta be a No. 1. Even though it wasn’t a smash hit, they’ll never forget “Who Dat.” Mark said, it was like Smoothe Da Hustler’s “Broken Language.” It turns heads.

Still—you weren’t disappointed it wasn’t a big radio record?
The fact is, as many radio stations in as many places that did play ‘Who Dat’ exceeded my expectations. Now that I know the game and I’ve been on these stations, I know who’s gonna play what records, and who’s not. I refuse to be the artist that drops a super-duper great album, but it goes under the radar. Or it sells however many thousands, but there was no radio record so the masses didn’t get a chance to hear it. I refuse to be that artist.

What about the second single, “Blow Up”?

That’s like a placeholder record. They’re working ‘Blow Up,’ but you know that was another one of those records that when I played it for everybody, the reaction was like, Oh, shit. I ain’t told anybody, but I don’t even know if it’s gonna make the album.

Why did you decide to create the mixtape, Friday Night Lights?
I got fans waiting for music and I was like, if I can’t deliver them my album this year—or even a release date—I should at least give them this. To hold them over for four months or so. I’m sittin’ on so many incredible songs, whether or not they were gonna make the album. Let me put something out!

What’s the meaning behind the title?
Friday Night Lights sums up that feeling before the big game. It’s definitely an extension from my last mixtape, The Warm Up. But now it’s like he’s on the team, and it’s that anxiousness to get in the game and prove himself. Also—some fear. I had to redo songs, I had to really just suck it up and realize that a certain song might be a better fit for the mixtape than the album.

Have the frequent leaks of your material hurt?

A leak will make you fall out of love with a song. I fall outta love with my songs over time. Once I’ve heard them and done them I’m so busy thinking about what’s the next song, I forget how special these songs are that I have. I wish I was better at appreciating my songs.

I heard you have a really deep song about a girl having an abortion.

Yeah, that’s an exception. It’s definitely on the album. I’ve been saving that one. I have a video for that and everything. I’ve been sitting on the concept for damn near two years. If I get to where I want to be in my career then it could be like Eminem’s “Stan.” It’s one of those really emotional stories. It’s an immediate experience of some friends of mine, but I actually did have a similar situation, though not to the extent of the song. It’s in the vein of Common’s “Retrospect for Life.” Not that I based it off of that, but you can’t help but compare it to that.

I listened to your first mixtape, The Come Up, the other day. The underlying theme of it seems to be your dedication to your mom and your desire for her to have a better life. Like it was you and she against the world.

That’s how it always felt. Even when I had a stepfather, it was always like me, my older brother, and my mother against everybody else. Early on, I seen my mom real, real broke, working as a waitress. A single mother, trying to raise two kids, after she divorced my father, when I was two. They were both from the Army. Then she got a good-ass job working at the post office. Then she got remarried.

You didn’t have any type of father-son relationship with your stepdad?
With him, nah. I mean I thought I did. I looked up to him, but I probably didn’t ever let him know that. He did some foul shit at the end, so I never respected him after that. He disciplined, he whooped us. I never really looked at him like no father. But I still have to say that things were pretty good. We had stability at first but it all crashed and burned right as I was going to college [at NYC’s St. John’s University]. That’s when The Come Up was being made. I was still early in school, and that’s when she was really hurting because now she’s back on her own and both her sons are gone. She’s in debt, house foreclosed. I was watching her, literally, trying to stay afloat. That’s where a lot of the anger from Come Up came from.

Channeling out through your music.
That was the most angry I’ve ever been. On that mixtape. But I don’t feel like that no more. I’m at peace with how I grew up. Because it was nice. It wasn’t like I never saw my father. There’s kids way worse off than me.

Is school something you were always was attracted to?

My mom. She had such an influence on me. She put such an emphasis on school. I loved the reaction that she would give me when I came home with some straight A’s. I lived for that. I wanted to have the highest score in the class. I was just good at soaking up information quick, but my passion was elsewhere. At a young age it was basketball, and then my passion turned to rapping.

How much of a culture shock was it when you moved to New York?

It was crazy. Ridiculous. On my own, bro. I was fuckin’ silly. I remember my best female friend from high school used to ask me, ‘You going to New York? You crazy? Aren’t you scared?’ And I used to front. But man, I was 18 years old going to somewhere I’d never really been. Living in a dorm—all I knew was living with my moms up until that point. For me to do that, it really just took, like a blind confidence that I didn’t really have, but I was telling myself I had it. The first time I came to New York I told myself that I was gonna move there. I just knew. I visited once when I was 13 or 14. I said, ‘I’m gonna move here one day.’ I didn’t really know ‘til probably about 16 or 17. I was like, I can go to school in New York, college. It clicked I guess [snaps fingers]. Like: college. I could do it. It was almost like an excuse to go to New York City, and nobody’s even gotta know what I’m going for. Because I wasn’t telling people, ‘Yeah I’m gonna go get a deal.’ I was like, ‘I’m gonna go to college in New York.’ But inside I knew what it was for.


The girls think
this nigga’s handsome. But sorry ladies, young Mr. Cole is taken. He did a great job keeping his relationship status under wraps until gossip site YBF reported that Jermaine, 25, got down on bended knee on October 16, 2010. After the story was published, Melissa Heholt confirmed she and Cole have been together six years, but that they are not, in fact, engaged.


In your song, “Knock On Wood” you rap about missing NBA All-Star Weekend to spend time with your girl. How do you balance your career responsibilities with obligations to your relationship?

I speak on those things to get that shit off my chest. Because I know that’s something mad people are going through. Balancing career and a relationship or just juggling a relationship, period. But yeah, I’m trying. Taking that one day at a time. And it’s great—luckily—you know.


You met her in New York?

Yeah, that’s a college sweetheart. That’s like so serious I won’t even speak on that. I’m not saying you was gonna go any further, but I’m not gonna go any further and probably never will ‘cause that’s a really serious relationship, not one of those, “These niggas are dating.” I’ve been in a relationship so long, man, that sometimes that shit is a marriage, like damn near it. It takes a big sacrifice on both sides. Obviously on the person whose career is not in this business, it’s gonna be a very big sacrifice. I guess that’s the answer to your original question, it’s just a time sacrifice. But so far, so good. I know there’s no science to this shit, but I know we’re already beatin’ the odds.

When you talk about the album, you throw out the term ‘classic.’ Everybody hopes for that, but what makes you keep articulating it?
Maybe I’ll speak it into existence [laughs]. But it’s just telling you where my mind is. It gives insight into how high my standards are, and why I let some of these songs go that somebody else would be like, “Yo, how are you not gonna put that on the album?” My standards are a little higher.

You came out onstage at his Radio City set. You recently agreed to do some European tour dates together. But the public still seems hell-bent on makin’ you and Drake rivals. Does that affect your personal relationship with him?
I don’t think it affects it. I’m aware of it. I think he’s aware of it too. But it’s not something that’s really spoken on. But moments like at Radio City crush all the talk of any kind of beef. I think it’s just a reflection of how excited people are. I feel like we’re probably the first two artists in a long time that they’ve been able to be so excited about.

Mr. Graham sent me a text, said you guys were making a song together called “The Luckiest People.” Can you confirm?
Hell yeah. That shit is dope. I’m recording my verse. Drake is one of the people I really wanted to work with as soon as I got myself to the place where I needed to be. He got himself there. He worked super hard. Those are the type of people I wanna work with. I wanna feel like I earned it.

Via Rapradar

Kanye West Among TIME Magazine's People Who Matter



Kanye has done a complete the 360 and Time Magazine Heralded him as one of the People Who Mattered in 2010 blow is an excerpt from Time Magazine

Highs: After a tumultuous 2009, Kanye West spent much of the first half of 2010 out of the public eye. Despite winning two Grammy awards for rap collaborations, the performer was a no-show at the January 31 event. In July, West joined Twitter, where he has amassed nearly two million followers and maintains a stream of provocative, often puzzling tweets on everything from fashion to, well, horses. On November 22, West released his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which debuted at the top spot on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was widely praised by critics and audiences alike — some dubbed it West's "masterpiece" — and earned him a 2010 Grammy nomination in the Best Rap Solo Performance category for "Power."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2036683_2036767_2036827,00.html #ixzz18DKvlzxQ

Jay Electronica MTV Fire Starter Of The Year



Earning a nod from Nas and a deal with Jay-Z's Roc Nation, MTV has named Jay Electronica MTV Fire Starter Of The Year.

Via MTV

Nas and Damian Marley Tour New Zealand


One of them is responsible for arguabley the greatest hip hop album of all time, while the other is practically reggae royalty; and both are coming to New Zealand next year.

Nas and Damian Marley first confirmed they were working together in 2009 and the result of that collaboration was the album ‘Distant Relatives’. It is off the back of that partnership that the pair are touring and when they hit New Zealand - they’ll head first to Wellington before heading to Auckland the night after.

Nas is perhaps best known for his classic 1994 debut album ‘Illmatic’ which routinely tops best hip hop albums of all time lists; while Damian Marley is the youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley and has followed in his father’s footsteps in regards to both his music and religious beliefs. ‘Distant Relatives’ features a fusion of the two musicians’ styles, which Marley first experimented with on his previous album ‘Welcome to Jamrock’

Nas and Marley’s show will feature the pair performing tracks from ‘Distant Relatives’ together as well as each doing a solo set of their own material. Local groups Kidz in Space and 1814 will be providing support for both shows.

Tickets for the Auckland show are on sale now from www.dashtickets.co.nz

February 16 – TSB Arena, Wellington

February 17 –Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland

Copyright : MTV New Zealand

Source : MTV New Zealand

Roc Nation's Whip My Hair Video Remix Contest



Via Rocnation

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Nardwuar vs. J. Cole



J Cole chats it up with Nardwuar about Outkast, Master P, NO ID, Kobe Bryant’s Rapping + more.

Via Soulculture

The Best Of African Music (One World - One Love Edition) Exclusively Released On ITunes Throughout December

Astoria, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/14/2010 -- Crafted with groovy, positive, energetic but also melow and meditative music, "The Best of African Music (One World - One Love edition) is definitely one of the best compilation to come out this year.

Even though the album features some major names such as Akon, NAS and Damian Marley among others, "The Best of African Music (One World - One Love edition)" is overwhelmed with many independent and established artists who are not necessarily known internationally thus giving these wonderful musicians the opportunity to reach out to the worldwide audience. The fans in North America will have to wait because the full album will be available in 2011.

The tracks of the album "The Best of African Music (One World - One Love edition), have been carefully selected and compiled by Didier Kussu, based on the following
criteria:

- Each track must contain some typical African music elements
- Songs with lyrics must be positive and uplifting

The outcome is the best Christmas gift of 20 lovely songs for true music lovers.

Featured artists are Akon, Keri Hilson, Nneka, Paul Play Dairo, NAS, Damian Marley, Ed Jatto, Obiora Obiwon, Tate Simms, Adonye Green, Blackface Naija, Seun Kuti, TEA, Shaman's Dream, Jason Farnham, Cesar Funck, Proofsound, Denise Gordon, Miss Maawa, Sunburn In Cyprus, Afrotech Project, Basiru Suso, Eddie "SEA" Caldwell, Gene Katsuro among others.

About The Best of African Music
The Best Of African Music is a compilation series with aim to create a platform in which fans around the world will have the opportunity to discover the great variety of music that the African continent has to offer.

For more info: http://www.thebestofafricanmusic.com

Press Inquiries:
United Entertainment & Media Limited
Suite 404, 324 Regent Street
London
W1B 3HH
UK
P: +44 20 7193 5457
E: press@uemlimited.com

J. Cole Nominated URB Magazine’s “Best of 2010″




CLICK HERE TO VOTE J. COLE “BEST OF 2010″

Via Rocnation.com

Nas - The GOD



This was one of the bonus tracks on the "God Son" album Swizzy on The BOARDS!!!!

[Verse 1]
In the papers you read that Nas is crazy
Lost his mind as he leavin Sony
The INC got him signed
It's only a figment of your imagination
Went to way with New York's Hot radio station
Lost my patience, had to zone out
Rappers blown out, I have the throne now
The real shall reign, I feel your pain
You R&B, follow me, spell my name



[Verse 2]
God's Son across the belly
Pardon, I'm hardly a bully
But what y'all done to hip hop is scary
Nas'll be truly the, last soldier to roll with
Holdin it down, my proteges are over with now
A producer like Swizz Beats, on fire
So is the control room, soon as my vocals are down
Nas - God's Son, and y'all my little children
So bounce with it, if you can pronounce the correct spellin

Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey Down Under


Jay-Z continues his Globe trotting ways and Philanthropic endeavors as he visited Oprah Oprah on set to discuss his visit to Canterbury Boys High School. Jay-Z made a surprise visit to the Canterbury Boys High School where he jammed with the students. “It was great,” he told Oprah of the visit. “I see myself in their eyes, I believe in opportunities.”


Photo Credit: Getty Images , Wenn.com

Monday, December 13, 2010

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Jay-Z's 'On To The Next One' Is #8





MTV has compiled a list of The Top 25 Songs of 2010 and Jay-Z's "On To The Next" is #8

Via MTV

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Happy 41st Jay-Z


Today is Jay's B-Day! Happy 41st

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Jay-Z 6 Grammy Nominations


Jay-Z got 6 Grammy Nominations and leading the pack is Marshall Mathers with 10 Nominations. Shout out to B.O.B for the power breakout year!! I'm kind of sour that the homie Nas and Damian' album didn't get any Nominations at all that was one of the greatest albums this year but much props to Jay-Z below is the list for Nominations

The complete nominations for the 53rd annual Grammys:

Album of the Year
» Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
» Eminem - Recovery
» Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
» Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster
» Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

Record of the Year
» B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars) - "Nothin' on You"
» Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "Love the Way You Lie"
» Cee Lo Green - "F--- You"
» Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
» Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"

Best New Artist
» Justin Bieber
» Drake
» Florence & the Machine
» Mumford & Sons
» Esperanza Spalding

Song of the Year
» Ray LaMontagne - "Beg Steal or Borrow"
» Cee Lo Green - "F--- You"
» Miranda Lambert - "The House That Built Me"
» Eminem (featuring Rihanna) - "Love the Way You Lie"
» Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"

Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
» "Glee" cast - "Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals Version)"
» Maroon 5 - "Misery
» Paramore - "The Only Exception"
» Sade - "Babyfather"
» Train - "Hey, Soul Sister (Live)"

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
» B.o.B, Eminem and Hayley Williams - "Airplanes II"
» Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck and Oumou Sangare - "Imagine"
» Elton John & Leon Russell - "If It Wasn't For Bad"
» Lady Gaga and Beyoncé - "Telephone"
» Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg - "California Gurls"

Best Dance Recording
» Goldfrapp - "Rocket"
» La Roux - "In For The Kill"
» Lady Gaga - "Dance in the Dark"
» Rihanna - "Only Girl (In the World)"
» Robyn - "Dancing on My Own"

Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
» Arcade Fire - "Ready to Start"
» Jeff Beck and Joss Stone - "I Put a Spell on You"
» The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"
» Kings of Leon - "Radioactive"
» Muse - "Resistance"

Best Hard Rock Performance
» Alice in Chains - "A Looking in View"
» Ozzy Osbourne - "Let Me Hear You Scream"
» Soundgarden - "Black Rain"
» Stone Temple Pilots - "Between the Lines"
» Them Crooked Vultures - "New Fang"

Best Rock Song
» Neil Young - "Angry World"
» Mumford & Sons - "Little Lion Man"
» Kings of Leon - "Radioactive"
» Muse - "Resistance"
» The Black Keys - "Tighten Up"

Best Alternative Music Album
» Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
» Band of Horses - Infinite Arms
» The Black Keys - Brothers
» Broken Bells - Broken Bells
» Vampire Weekend - Contra

Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
» Chris Brown and Tank - "Take My Time"
» Chuck Brown, Jill Scott and Marcus Miller - "Love"
» Ronald Isley and Aretha Franklin - "You've Got a Friend"
» John Legend and the Roots - "Shine"
» Sade - "Soldier of Love"

Best Contemporary R&B Album
» Chris Brown - Graffiti
» R. Kelly - Untitled
» Ryan Leslie - Transition
» Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
» Usher - Raymond v. Raymond

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
» B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars) - "Nothin' on You"
» Chris Brown, Tyga and Kevin McCall - "Deuces"
» Eminem and Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie"
» Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
» John Legend, the Roots, Melanie Fiona and Common - "Wake Up! Everybody"

Best Rap Song
» Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - "Empire State of Mind"
» Eminem and Rihanna - "Love the Way You Lie"
» Eminem - "Not Afraid"
» B.o.B (featuring Bruno Mars) - "Nothin' on You"
» Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz - "On to the Next One"

Best Rap Album
» B.o.B - The Adventures of Bobby Ray
» Drake - Thank Me Later
» Eminem - Recovery
» Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
» The Roots - How I Got Over

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals
» Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson - "Bad Angel"
» Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury and the Punch Brothers - "Pride (In the Name of Love)"
» Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson - "As She's Walking Away"
» Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins - "Hillbilly Bone"
» Marty Stuart and Connie Smith - "I Run to You"

Best Country Song
» George Strait - "The Breath You Take"
» Zac Brown Band - "Free"
» Miranda Lambert - "The House That Built Me"
» Gretchen Wilson - "I'd Love To Be Your Last"
» The Band Perry - "If I Die Young"
» Lady Antebellum - "Need You Now"

Best Country Album
» Dierks Bentley - Up on the Ridge
» Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give
» Jamey Johnson - The Guitar Song
» Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
» Miranda Lambert - Revolution

Best Americana Album
» Rosanne Cash - The List
» Los Lobos - Tin Can Trust
» Willie Nelson - Country Music
» Robert Plant - Band of Joy
» Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone

Best Traditional Blues Album
» James Cotton - Giant
» Cyndi Lauper - Memphis Blues
» Charlie Musselwhite - The Well
» Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Joined at the Hip
» Jimmie Vaughan - Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites