ChartWatch for September 22, 2010First up on the countdown is Linkin Park.  They kind of rap…sometimes…well not anymore….but they did have that Reanimation album from 2003.  Plus they did that album with Jay-Z.  All that aside the California band drops their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns, and takes the number one spot selling 253,685 copies. If I’m going to include a non Hip Hop group like Linkin Park I have to include Trey Songz as well.  The R&B singer’s fourth album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, enters the charts at number two, selling 244,103 copies. He is followed by Detroit’s own Eminem who drops down one spot to number three this week.  The rapper’s seventh studio album, Recovery, sells 89,182 copies this week bringing Em’s total sales to 2,607,201. Drake’s Thank Me Later drops from 14 to 15 and moves 19,315 copies.  The Canadian MC has sold 1,083,240 copies of his debut. Rick Ross is at number 24 with his latest album, Teflon Don.  The 13,967 copies sold last week brings his total to 395,203. B.o.B continues his slow sales burn with his debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, selling 9,766 copies and moving him up one spot to 36.  Since its April release this album has stayed in the top 50 and has sold a total of 381,545 copies. Black Milk’s Album of the Year sells roughly 3,600 for the first week.Finally, my favorite sell-out band, The Black Eyed Peas takes the number 45 spot with their chart topping album The E.N.D.  This week Will, Fergie, and the crew move 7,862 copies bringing the group’s total sales to 2,765,497.  You would think that contrived black face controversy attempted by Will.I.Am would have got the group more sales.  (Next time if you’re going to don black face and dress like a bootleg superhero do me a favor….don’t block Nicki Minaj.) Dropping This Week I only have two albums for you this week but before we get into that I have to show you some stuff on the site.  Why?  I’m from Texas, these articles are about Texas artists, and I’m biased.  Killa Kyleon, Double A, Thugged Out, Big Hud, and Delo are all featured in this month’s Texas Breeding ground.  I’ll be honest, I only recognize two of those names, but its Texas so I think everyone should support.  (No, I’m not going to say which two…look at them all) The first album up in “dropping” is by none other than Cam’ron and Vado who make up the duo the U.N.  The new album Gunz N’ Butta was supposed to come out in March but, as you can see, it was pushed back to this week.  Cam’ron is said to have a lot of recordings saved up so fans that have been missing him these past couple of years should give this one a listen. Finally, producer Ski Beats (the guy who produced for Jay-Z, Camp Lo, and most recently Curren$y) releases 24 Hour Karate School.  Ski is largely responsible for giving Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt its sound so fans might want to give this one a listen. That’s it for the charts.  See you next week.

Check out Rhymefest hot, creative new video from Rhymefest called “Mermaids”

    “This is who you call the truest/out the newest fold/to people watching our every move like The Truman Show.” —Black Milk, “Deadly Medley” It’s an ambitious title. Yet, Black Milk is an ambitious artist. Before he could buy a drink, he was contributing music to Slum Village and building a name for himself as a producer. Manning the boards for much of Trinity, Detroit Deli: A Taste of Detroit, and B.R. Gunna- Dirty District Vol. 2; it was the death of his mentor and friend, J. Dilla, that finally pushed him out of the shadow of a giant. As a Producer/Rapper, who is very good at both and with his Detroit roots and sound, comparisons to Dilla came quickly to Black. He was crowned the next best thing and heir to the throne, however, Black Milk’s work ethic and tenacity would soon allow him to carve his own path and establish his own notoriety and fan base. His own unusual name is now synonymous with hits. It’s been through diligence (no pun intended) that Black has carved out his own niche and become a critically acclaimed artist beloved and respected by fans around the world as well as other rap artists. Despite industry politics, like little to no local airplay, Black has successfully released a solo album a year, except 2009, for the last five years. Beginning with Sound of the City, when he broke ties with Barak Records in 2005, Broken Wax (EP), 2006, Popular Demand (2007), Tronic (2008) and now Album of the Year; which is released on FatBeats Records/Decon. Not to mention collaborations like CalTroit (with Bishop Lamont), The Setup (with Fat Ray), The Preface (with Elzhi), and Random Axe (with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson). With Album of the Year, Black Milk takes us on a musical journey of the last year of his life. The album is full of his usual masterful production and crate digging skills, a newer addition is more live instrumentation, including drums from Daru Jones, bass from Tim Shellaberger and horn and string arrangement from Sam Beaubien. The live instrumentation adds another layer of complexity to rich musical landscape that Black paints with music and words like a master. “Keep Going,” is one of the best tracks on the album and it’s just the third track in. It continues to go uphill from there. “Over Again” is an ode to those who hustle for a living, vocalist Monica Blaire provides a great compliment on the thought-provoking track that asks, “Why do I even bother?/Seems like it just gets harder/to do it over again.” Album of the Year features ONLY Detroit artists, like “Black and Brown” featuring Danny Brown, who lyrically stands out on every performance. “Warning”, one of the 4 tracks that Black Milk flows on alone, causes a bit of a lag toward the end. The track sounds too much like another that he produced (“Stupid”, Dirty District 2) and is the album’s only skip-worthy song. Any flaws in Album of the Year, of which there are few, are redeemed by the monster single, “Deadly Medley” featuring Royce Da 5’9” and Elzhi. Despite the fact that it features three extraordinary emcees, the song doesn’t sound like they are trying to outdo each other, instead they seem to compliment each other. However, with lines like: “Seems/they love when I’m performing/they laugh at your performance/my s**t is Martin Luther/your s**t is Martin Lawrence.” Black Milk reminds listeners whose album this is. Royce goes in as usual proclaiming “shoulders with his whole, entire city on.” Elzhi shines as well, “It’s fatality/to ever try to handle me like a piano key.” Finally, Album of the Year closes with a feature from Mr. Porter nee’ Denaun Porter, a legendary producer in his own right, member of D12, who is currently filling large shoes as Eminem’s “hype man”, a void left by Proof. Mr. Porter adds lush vocals on the hook of a track that gives shout outs to those both here and gone that have contributed to Black’s musical life.  Album of the Year is an excellent effort from an incredible artist well on his way to becoming one of the greatest to ever do it.      

September 14,2010 marked the debut of Grammy nominated recording artists Trey Songz’ fourth studio recorded album-Passion Pain and Pleasure. Target offers a deluxe version of the album with bonus tracks and live performances included. Target hosted this private release party in Atlanta at Ventana’s rooftop lounge. The venue was branded with larger than life size photos of Trey including visual electronics channeled on Songz T.V.Even the elevator music was a whispering version of Trey’s latest single “Can’t Be Friends.” Target’s exclusive event created an opulent environment from all imaginable angles. Special Guest included: T.I, Jazzy Phae, Sean Garret, Bobby Valentino, Jalen Rose, Nate Walker with music by DJ Don Cannon. Upon arrival, confirmed media guests were escorted to the 15th floor to await the arrival of Trey Songz. The scene began to fester when the press realized that Trey was approaching the red carpet. Songz’ lured photographers in with his impressive attire and a dazzling smile that spoke to the cameras. Usually Trey releases albums with a two year window in between projects however, Passion Pain and Pleasure dropped only a year after he introduced the world to his third album, Ready. I asked why this album was debuted so close in proximity to the last? Trey Songz: Things didn’t go according to our master plan, and those albums weren’t intended to be released when they were. Back then we were still ironing out the kinks and getting things in place. The release of this album has been a trending topic on twitter and Trey never revealed that he would be unavailing; what he considers his best work yet in Atlanta. AllHipHop.com asked Trey was there any rhyme or reason to his decision to celebrate the birth of Passion Pain and Pleasure in Atlanta? Trey Songz: Atlanta is the breeding ground for artists who are aspiring to conquer their careers and its also a vital part of our culture. Not only is this a second home for me but Atlanta is where I get an exceptional amount of work accomplished. Trey admits this album is very sexual and he reveals some of his hidden truths in Passion Pain and Pleasure. With such a charismatic outlook on his album I was curious to know if Trey has ever had sex to the sound of his own voice? Trey Songz: Not intentionally, one instance it was on shuffle and at first it was kind of awkward but then I found myself critiquing my music with ears wide open listening closely for rifts and errors. Is that arrogant [laughter]? I joked with Trey about the Title of his album suggesting that it was bit of a tongue twister. I ended on a lighter note by challenging Songz’ to describe his fourth album in three words or less without using its title. [Smiling and laughing] Trey replies: Trey Songz: Now why would I do that? It’s Passion, Pain and Pleasure, well let’s see…I would say Sensual, Intimate, Emotional…how’s that?

Kanye is on stage at the VMA’s with a beat machine.  Atmosphere makes it onto the charts.  Black Milk drops this week.  New artist like J. Cole and Jay Electronica are working on albums to be released.  Rumors continue to persist about four-man, super-group Slaughterhouse signing with Shady records.  Pusha T signs with GOOD Music.  Is it getting popular to do Hip Hop again?  Not just pop music but actual Hip Hop?  Good for Hip Hop…bad for this column.  What am I going to make fun of if a majority of artists start putting out quality work?  I have to make a living he—Wait what?…………….In an airport?………………. On 9/11?  …………………It was a stolen gun?Nevermind….it looks like my job will be fine.  If you want to read up on Petey’s response to smuggling a gun….a stolen gun….on a plane….on 9/11…read here.   On to the charts.Eminem jumps back into the number 2 spot this week with his seventh studio album Recovery.  The Detroit MC sold 80,837 copies bringing the album’s total sales to 2,518,019. Drake also jumps up one spot, from 15 to 14, by selling 17,717 copies of his debut album Thank Me Later.  So far the Young Money MC has sold a total of 1,063,925 copies.Rick Ross is another rapper moving up the charts.  Ross jumps up two spots to number 23 with his fourth studio album Teflon Don.  The 12,845 copies sold by the Miami MC this week add to the albums total sales of 381,236.B.o.B sells 8,677 copies of his debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, which brings his total sales to 371,779.  The Atlanta MC takes the biggest sales jump amongst Hip Hop artists moving ten spots, from 47 to 37.Finally, Atmosphere, the Hip Hop duo consisting of rapper, Slug, and DJ/producer, Ant, enters the charts at number 39 with their latest, To All My Friends Blood Makes The Blade Holy.  The Minnesota duo sell 8,233 copies this week. Dropping This WeekI don’t usually pick favorites in the “dropping” section of this column but this week is different.   Black Milk fourth release, the aptly titled Album of the Year, drops this week.  Forget being impartial.  Buy Black Milk’s album.  I know you’re use to rappers coming out saying they are the greatest or their album is a movement but Black Milk’s latest album title ain’t bragging.  Come December the underground (and more) might not say that this is the album of the year….but it’ll be a contender for top ten.  The Detroit MC/Producer’s latest effort features Royce da 5’9”, Elzhi, Melanie Rutherford, Monica Blaire, Mr. Porter, AB, and Danny Brown.  If you get a chance read up on Black Milk.Keeping it in the underground, MF Doom drops another live album, this time with Big Benn Klingon.  I got to be honest….I like Doom…I do…but at this point I can’t tell if he’s releasing a new album or just rehashing oldies.  Plus, as creative as I think it is to release albums under various aliases (I’m looking at you Madlib) it’s getting tougher and tougher to keep up.  I had to do some searching because I didn’t know if Big Benn Klingon was another rapper or just some Doom alter-ego.  This is a live album so it’s only three tracks, two of which are over 15 minutes.  That’s all the info I have on it. Speaking of underground groups that I like but can’t keep up with, Wu-Tang Management (?) drops Wu Tang Management Presents: Watchmen, a double album by Wu Tang affiliate group, the Watchmen.  Pop quiz.  How many Wu Tang affiliates are there in the entertainment industry?  Click here for the answer.  (Hint….it’s a lot).Ten years ago Rah Digga released Dirty Harriet to critical acclaim.  She was praised for her sharp lyrical ability.  Plus it gave females a representative in the Hip Hop community that could spit and keep her clothes on at the same time.  Then Rah Digga kind of disappeared.  Well she didn’t entirely disappear.  She left Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad in ’07.  And she had a brief “acting” career, appearing in Thirteen Ghosts and Carmen: A Hip-Hopera.  Now, after years of pleading from Hip Hop community (and the general movie going public), Rah Digga ditches the screen and returns to the mic, releasing her sophomore album, Classic.  The album is produced completely by Nottz who has worked with everyone from Kanye, to Scarface, to Bilal.  Give it a listen. I love when a rapper comes out on the completely sell out, commercial tip and then, when things don’t pan out the way they planned, drop an “introspective” album that is usually the same as their last….except this time there is no hit single.  (And Lord knows they need that single.)  I gave that intro in honor of our next two artists Chingy and Huey.  First and foremost, my apologies go out to Chingy.  I, much like the rest of the music purchasing public, forgot that he was coming out with an album that dropped last week.  His fifth (yes…Chingy has five albums.  Makes you want to pick up a mic, huh?) studio album is entitled Success & Failure and features 8Ball and Lil Flip.   Then we have Mr “Pop-Lock-n-Drop-it”, St. Louis’ own Huey.  He drops his sophomore album this week entitled, Redemption featuring Dorrough, Colby O’Donis, JR, and Mack.  If you’re a Huey or Chingy fan sorry (not really).That’s it for ChartWatch this week. PS I know some of you thought I might comment on Maino for his smacking-up-a-documentarian-on-national-tv incident….but he doesn’t seem to big on constructive criticism.  I’ll just leave you with his response.www.twitter.com/drdougla 

Vado: Slime Pays is brought to you from the dream team @DJDIGGZ @DAREALDJLUST @LAPROFECY. With exclusive records “No Days Off” & “Honor Amongst Thieves,” this is a classic mixtape from the start! With production from Dipset’s own Arab Muzik and Killa Cam joining in on this classic, which is street anthem music. SLIME!Download the track here.

Rapper Ice Cube recently dropped a preview of three new videos from his upcoming album I Am The West. The rapper’s ninth solo album is a 16-track effort that is purposely light on guest appearances. Although critically acclaimed rappers like W.C., Jayo Felony, Young Maylay, Doughboy and OMG make guest appearances, the majority of the album features Ice Cube himself. Check out the trailers for three of Ice Cube’s new videos, which will be dropping soon.

The young son of Run continues to craft his own legacy song by song, mixtape by mixtape. The sophomore release is Airbourne. Diggy collaborates with DJ Spin King for the 13-track collaboration that includes Chris Brown, Raekwon, Wynter Gordon, Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell and more. The cover art, track listing and download link are below. Tracklist: 1. AirBorne feat. Wynter Gordon [Intro] [p###. Black The Beast] 2. Thinkin’ Bout U feat. Bei Maejor [p###. T- Minus] 3. Big Bad World feat. Colin Munroe [p###. Black The Beast] 4. As I am feat. Shianne Phillips [p###. Black The Beast] 5. Put You On feat. Chris Brown [p###. Black The Beast] 6. Super Hero Music feat. Raekwon [p###. Boi-1da] 7. Oh Yeah feat. Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell [p###. Omen & Black The Beast] 8. AirPlane Skit 9. No Gravity feat. K2 [p###. Black The Beast] 10. You Got Me Now feat. Jacob Latimore [p###. Kane Beatz] 11. The Vision feat. Ghostwridah & Eric B [p###. Neako] 12. This Feelin’ [Outro] [p###. Deputy] 13. Great Expectations feat. Bei Maejor [Bonus] [p###. Black The Beast]Click here to download

[DOWNLOAD] Good Friday – Kanye West, Common, Pusha T, Kid Cudi, Big Sean and Charlie Wilson

ChartWatch for September 8, 2010 So DMX doesn’t think Plies can rap.  It’s about time an artist stated their opinion with a name.  Granted, DMX can’t rap anymore (or he can rap and he’s hiding his abilities really well) but it’s good to see the opinion out there. Welcome to ChartWatch where we count down the top sales in hip Hop and show you the albums dropping this week.  Oh and, as you can see from the opening line, we occasionally talk about your favorite rapper.  Not every rapper….just the bad ones.  But calm down Plies fans….it’s just jokes.  I guess I probably offended DMX fans as well with that first line.  Sorry? By the way, Plies I wouldn’t respond.  I make fun of both of you but we know X can still rap if given the opportunity.  Don’t give him the opportunity.  First up is an artist that hasn’t had a problem seizing on his comeback opportunity.  Eminem holds strong at the number three spot.   This week Recovery moves 92,185 copies bringing Eminem’s total sales for the album to 2,437,182. He is followed by Drake who jumps up two spots to number 15.  The Canadian rapper’s debut album, Thank Me Later, continues to move units, adding another 19,559 copies this week to its 1,046,208 total. Rick Ross falls to 25, selling 15,942 copies of his fourth album Teflon Don.  So far the Miami MC has moved a total of 368,391 copies. Fabolous enters the charts at number 32 with his latest There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music Mixtape.  The Brooklyn MC joins the charts with 12,726 copies sold. The Black Eyed Peas continue their sales reign this week by moving 9,628 copies of their fifth studio album, The E.N.D.  That might not seem like much but the group’s total sales for the album is 2,750,952. Finally B.o.B comes in at 47 with his debut The Adventures of Bobby Ray.  The Atlanta MC sells 7,934 copies bringing his total sales to 363,102. Dropping This Week In the words of Scarface, off of his mixtape Dopeboy Music, “Ya’ll sleeping on K-Rino.”  The Houston rapper, who has been making music for over 2 decades, drops his latest album this week entitled Annihilation of the Evil Machine.  This is K-Rino’s 16th solo album and if that’s not enough he has a countless number of compilations and mixtapes.  For those that don’t know or just want to take a listen you can pretty much find this whole album on YouTube.  Take a listen and then go support the music. Keeping it in Texas is Dallas rapper Dorrough who returns with his second album Get Big.  The rapper’s second studio album contains production work from Nitti, Mouse, Raw Smoov and Drumma Boy with guest appearances from Juvenile, Yo Gotti, Ray J, Jim Jones, and Slim Thug. Is anybody here familiar with Blue Sky Black Death?  They are a production duo out of Seattle and San Francisco that have created some incredible albums like Razah’s Ladder with Wu affiliate Hell Razah and The Evil Jeanius  with Jean Grae. That second album should be noted because it caused a slight underground controversy.  Jean did not record for this album.  BSBD just used her prerecorded verses and crafted beats around it.  That’s didn’t make Jean happy but it does give fans a chance to hear songs like “Threats”,  “Light’s Out”, and “It’s Still A Love Song”.  The duo releases their 11thThird Party. album this week entitled That’s it for ChartWatch this week.  Buy (download) an album. www.twitter.com/drdougla

One more pound to smoke, a horse head, and baby guts are among the things that the mind conjures when it hears the name, Brotha Lynch Hung. Mr. Sacramento, crept onto the scene back in ’93. With his sophomore release of, Season of da Siccness. Lynch’s exquisitely twisted lyrics and entrenched metaphors (sometimes misleading to the listener) earned him an infamous spot in Hip-Hop’s underground. Is he really a canniba? Does he physically mutilate infants? No. Is he able to use his words to provoke an emotional response? Absolutely! “I’m willing to do whatever. I try not to do any of that regular stuff, you know. I want to do other level stuff—stuff that hasn’t been done. Every rapper says that; but, it has to be something creative, it has to be something lyrical. It can’t be verse, hook, verse, hook, verse, hook all the time. It’s got to be really, really different,” assures Brotha Lynch. Dinner And A Movie, his Strange Music debut, demonstrates his creative progression. Now, Brotha Lynch Hung discusses which MCs he considers to reign supreme. AllHipHop.com: I would like to get your Top 5 Dead Or Alive MCs. Brotha Lynch Hung: Okay. You know, Tupac, he’s at the top! AllHipHop.com: Now, give me a little juice as to why these guys made it into your Top 5. Brotha Lynch Hung: Why did those? Well, if you notice, every rapper that I picked puts pride into their lyrics and their creativity. TUPAC Brotha Lynch Hung: It’s just his whole aura, you know what I mean. He was political; he was not scared to say what he felt. I feel a little bit of that in myself, too. Because, I don’t care, I just put it out there. You know, he grabbed me with that; he’s political. Plus, his background; he was born in a prison. It’s just his whole aura. He was a talkative dude. I met him once; he took me to lunch. The Tupac that everybody sees ain’t like the Tupac that you would go out to lunch with. He’s able to portray everything about himself to a point to where it’s like, wow! AllHipHop.com: I’m jealous. Brotha Lynch Hung: I wish I could say that I did some songs with him; but, I can’t. AllHipHop.com: That would have been fantastic, ‘Pac and Lynch, man! Brotha Lynch Hung: Man, it was so sad when that happened. The saddest part about his passing is that he kinda knew that it was coming. That’s the hurtful thing about it. He didn’t even want to go to Vegas that night, you know what I mean. So, he was not really forced, you can’t really force Tupac to do anything. I guess he went; because, he was a guy who gets out there. He was in the casino, he’s in the clubs and stuff. I guess he figured he’d go; but, he didn’t have to. I know he was trying to escape that blow. RAKIM Brotha Lynch Hung: He started it! His words were just twisted, and doing all this crazy stuff. He actually, he made me pick up on that. And every rapper who likes playing with words; I love that. AllHipHop.com: Do you have a favorite verse from Rakim; or, a favorite album? Brotha Lynch Hung: From Rakim, I don’t have a favorite album. I have a favorite song. The albums were kinda weird. You liked his lyrics more than you liked his albums. But “Lyrics of Fury” is one that really grabbed me. It really showed me that I had to step up on my lyrical part. I love “Lyrics Of Fury.” AllHipHop.com: Who’s next? Lynch: Eminem. AllHipHop.com: Given that you listened to Relapse while you were creating Dinner And A Movie, what about him demands your attention; what is it about Eminem? EMINEM Brotha Lynch Hung: Well, you know, me and him talk that crazy stuff! We use our minds to grab and grip you. Me and Eminem—him even more—probably got problems in the head, a little bit. AllHipHop.com: [LAUGHS] You are a fool! So, he has a touch of crazy? Brotha Lynch Hung: You know what I mean. Or, he’s a good actor. Regardless of that, he puts out good music—great music! I love that about him, you know. His lyrics are just, whew! He’s somebody that I would want to battle. I’ve been wanting to battle him—a good battle—not a bad battle to where we talk s### about each other. I just want to do the lyrical thing with him. He’s very inspirational… I don’t usually listen to other people’s albums. But, the fact that he hadn’t been out in a while, I wanted to see how he was going to react to it. We were kinda in similar situations. At least with me, before Dinner And A Movie, I hadn’t been out with an album since 2003. I wanted to see if he could hold up his, you know what I mean. So, I grabbed his album. I listened to it for about a month then I put it away. [Then I] pretty much got on mine. AllHipHop.com: Were you satisfied with the album? Brotha Lynch Hung: I felt that that the album was rushed. I think Eminem let his fans get to him when they said, ‘Hurry up and put out an album!’ I think that album was rushed. He did have some good lyrics on it; but, it wasn’t his best album. It kinda hurt me too. I was looking forward to getting amped up, lyrically. And, he amped me up lyrically, a little bit. But, I know Eminem can come tighter than Relapse. AllHipHop.com: Who’s next? TECH N9NE AllHipHop.com: Tech N9ne, why is he on this list? Brotha Lynch Hung: I love his flipping. He twists his words and flips them like whatever. That’s why I put him there. Plus, he uses a lot of words that rappers don’t use. So, I had to get him in there. […]

Sha Stimuli has been on the verge so many times, we stopped counting. But, one thing he hasn’t lost over time is his skill and sense of humor. Sha is Brooklyn all day, but recently relocated to Atlanta. The exceptional lyricist offers fans “Unsung,” a hilarious – yet truthful – commentary on the state of Hip-Hop. “I love my mother, I hate raccoons. I like cats, I watch cartoons…I’m unsung.” Its not disrespectful. But it definitely makes a point by showing how simple the formula is for certain types of rap. At first listen, it just sounds like a hot rap song, but upon closer listen, you will hear a lot of parodies in it. Guess who he’s poking fun at.

Do you know Roy Ayers? Sure you do…or don’t. Either way, this is why you should be familiar with this 69-year-old sensation. Aside from James Brown and George Clinton, Ayers may be the most sampled person in Hip-Hop. Legends like A Tribe Called Quest, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Nas, DMX, Jill Scott, Capone-N-Noreaga, Black Moon, Common, The Roots…and so many more have taken a bit of his legacy to make theirs. Well, now Just Dizle, the French DJing wonder, has crafted a mixtape that pulls Ayers and his “children” in one mixtape. Check out the beautifully crafted music that results. You can hear it and download it below. Listen Here:  Download >>HERE<< Download Link: http://bit.ly/jdroyayers Tracklist: 1.Young and Foolish 2.Sigh 3.Vibrations 4.Naste 5.Keep On Walking 6.Brand New Feeling 7.Sunshine (Demo Version) 8.Avery Johnson ft Roy Ayers – Everybody Loves 9.Bob Baldwin – Everybody Loves the Sunshine/ My Life 10.Masta Ace ft Leschea & Paula Perry – Turn It Up 11.Funkdoobiest – Dedicated 12.Brand Nubian – Wake Up (Reprise In The Sunshine) 13.Programmed For Love 14.No Stranger To Love 15.Jill Scott – Watching Me 16.Black Rob – Life Story 17.Sensitize 18.Smokey Robinson – Quiet Storm (Roy Ayers Groove Boutique Remix) 19.Show Us A Feeling 20.Searching 21.Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Searching 22.Mary J. Blige – Searching 23.Daddy Bug 24.Step Into Our Life 25.Capone-N-Noreaga – Capone Bone 26.Top Quality – Magnum Opus 27.Vittroni”s Theme 28.Nas – LIfe Is What You Make It feat. DMX 29.Lunatic – Pas L’Temps Pour Les Regrets 30.Mos Def – Brooklyn 31.Smif-N-Wessun – Home Sweet Home 32.Black Moon – Reality (Killing Every…) 33.Intro – Funny How Times Flies 34.We Live In Brooklyn Baby 35.A Tribe Called Quest – Keep It Rolling 36.Feel Like Makin Love 37.Brawling Broads 38.Casual – Thoughts Of The Thoughtful 39.Fela Kuti & Roy Ayers – Africa Centre Of The World 40.Mad Skillz – It’s Doin In Da Cypha 41.Funk In The Hole (Platinum Pied Pipers Remix) 42.Ain’t Got Time 43.Mos Def – Little Brother feat. Talib Kweli 44.Pete Rock & CL Smooth – Carmel City 45.Talib Kweli – In The Mood feat. Kanye West & Roy Ayers 46.The Old One Two (Move To Groove) 47.The Roots – Proceed II feat. Roy Ayers 48.Common – Come Close (Remix) 49.A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum 50.Yesterday’s New Quintet – Daylight 51.The Five Flies 52.Lonesome Cowboy 53.Boogie Down 54.A Tribe Called Quest – Description Of The Fool 55.Running Away 56.Virgo 57.What You Won’t Do For Love 58.Good Vibrations (Kerri’s Mad Mix) 59.Tarzan (Osunlade Yoruba Soul Rmx) 60.Holiday (Kenny Dope Main Mix) 61.Sexy, Sexy, Sexy

ChartWatch for September 1, 2010 It took a couple of months but Eminem has dropped from number 1 to number 3 with his latest studio album Recovery.  And who are the two artists that managed to take the number one and two spots?  Katy Perry takes number one with her latest, Teenage Dream, and Fantasia takes number two with Back To Me.  That leaves Eminem as the top selling Hip Hop artist with Recovery selling 98,689 copies and bringing the Detroit MC’s total sales for the album to 2,344,997. Usher enters the charts with Versus, which is essentially Raymond vs Raymond’s leftovers.  The album takes the number four spot selling 48,370 copies.  The ATL singer’s sixth studio album, Raymond Vs Raymond, jumps from 30 to 14 giving Usher two albums in the top 20. He is followed by Kem, who had the number two spot last week, but this week falls to number six.  Intimacy: Album III moves 28,847 copies this week. Rick Ross holds the 16th spot with his fourth studio album Teflon Don.  Ross moves 20,563 copies this week, brings his total sales to 352,449, and finally breaks the 350,000 mark. Directly behind him is an artist that broke the platinum mark last week.  Drake holds the 17th position with Thank Me Later moving 20,130 units and bringing his total sales to 1,026,649. The Black Eyed Peas fall to 34 selling 10,085 of The E.N.D but their total sales stand at the impressive 2,741,324. B.o.B moves another 9,938 copies of his debut The Adventures of Bobby Ray.  So far the MC has sold 355,168, breaking the 350,000 mark along with Rick Ross. Did people finally regain their senses and start listening to good music?  Big Boi jumps from 48 to 36 with his solo debut Sir Lucious Leftfoot The Son of Chico Dusty.  Big Boi moves 9,712 copies bringing the album’s total sales to 149,344. Finally Bun B holds the 50th spot with his third solo album Trill OG.  The Texas legend moves 7,577 copies bringing the total sales to 71,834. Dropping This Week First up this week Fabolous who drops There Is No Competition 2: The Grieving Music Mixtape, an EP which is being released to get fans ready for his new album Loso’s Way 2.  The album features Cam’ ron, Vado, Red Café, and Lore’l. Madlib continues his Medicine Show series with Medicine Show No. 8: Advanced Jazz.  If you’ve heard Madlib remix jazz, like when he remixed old Bluenote recordings, then you know this album won’t be a disappointment. KRS-One & Tru Master team up for the first time to drop Meta-Historical.  The legendary wordsmith teams up with Wu Tangs in house producer to craft an album that should please Hip Hop fans that feel the game is lacking lyrical content.  The album features Jersey, Rza, Cappadonna, and, of course, Tru Master. DJ Muggs and Ill Bill also team up to release Kill Devil Hills.  The album feature Sean Price, Sick Jacken, OC, B-Real, Slaine, Everlast, Q-Unique, Raekwon, and Vinnie Paz. Finally, New Orleans rapper K Gates drops The Shaikback.The album features Mos Def, TQ, and Evelyn Champagne to name a few. That’s it for ChartWatch this week.  We’ll see what happens with the charts next time.

I think that I accidentally fell asleep in my hot tub time machine on Saturday night and awaken Sunday morning in the golden era of Hip-Hop.  On Sunday August 30, 2010 I attended an outdoor twelve hour hip hop concert, that attracted enough people to fill a moderately sized stadium.  There were two stages designated for acts to perform on.  One stage was titled the Paid Dues stage and the other one was the main stage.  I spent my whole day covering the main stage.  That ‘s where I saw Slick Rick, Rakim, KRS-One, DJ Premier, A Tribe Called Quest, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wu Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg, in that particular order, perform classic material from their classic albums.  For one whole day, they simply reminded everyone in attendance the definition of real emceeing.Seven hundred twenty minutes of pure excitement, entertainment and anticipation that I’ve attempted to capture and convey to you with my pen, camera and emotion.  So for all of you who were unable to attend, or were in attendance and just want to once again revisit the moment, if you will, please let me give you a brief recap of Rock The Bells – DC, as I felt it.  This is The Dews Perspective.Dave the dope fiend shooting dope, who don’t know the meaning of water or soap!Before I go any further please allow me to say this.  I’m from east Baltimore and I’ve been slick since 1983, twenty seven years to be exact.  And just like TI (congrats on Takers) is the self appointed King Of The South, I’ve anointed and appointed myself the authority of what is and isn’t slick.  It goes without saying, Rick is slick.  Truck jewels still intact, eye patch and Sinatra colored eyes attire (shirt and matching shoes), he was the first to appear on the main stage, performing in front of a minimal audience.  This was still during the time while people were steady arriving to the venue in Columbia, Maryland, which was en route to capacity full, but not quite there.  However, those of us who were there by 12:00pm were spread out, with some sitting inside the pavilion and others outside on the lawn while Rick The Ruler delighted his fans with hits from his Adventures of Slick Rick lp, long player, 12“ vinyl.  Cool and precise with limited movements, nothing wasted, he graced the stage and performed crowd favorites such as Mona Lisa, Children’s Story and Teenage Love.  His rendition of Teenage Love was given a different treatment, laced with a Gamble and Huff International Philadelphia sound, he rapped over Sara Jean Perkins song, Don’t Let It Go To Your Head.  Without appearing to even break a sweat, he performed his songs and he did the Wop, while enticing the crowd to say, “go Slick Rick go Slick Rick go,” in which we did oblige.  A hip hop legend opened the concert of all concerts and then casually disappeared.  Returning to his throne until the next time the public should be so lucky and honored to be entertained by the one and only Grand Wizard, emcee Ricky D (echo the D please).She thought I was a donut, she tried to glaze me!I promise you that I can not begin to talk about Rakim Allah’s devouring of the stage reciting his Paid In Full lyrics without first acknowledging his DJ.  We all know that Ra “nominated his DJ for president” and I’m not certain why Eric B was impeached, but the dude that’s now presiding in his office is ridiculous on the 1‘s and 2‘s.  His name is Technique The DJ and he cut like guinsu.  Pre Rakim’s arrival to the stage, Technique paid homage to my favorite DJ from my favorite rap group, by scratching “so when asked whose best yall should say, Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay.”  The crowd roared.  Then with keeping in the Rock The Bells theme, he shouted out Jazzy Jeff while he commenced to kill the line, “LL Cool J is hard as hell/Rock The Bells.”  The crowd got even more hyped.  For me, at this time I’m standing in front of the stage preparing to record the God with my flip video, my mug was broke so hard as I bobbed my head, I’m certain that they didn’t know if I was there to shoot them or shoot them.Self esteem make it seem like the thought took years to build!Rakim bopped onto the stage, as cool as I ever perceived him to be, Barack like, acknowledged the crowd and then said, “turn up the bass, check out my melody, hand out a cigar.  I’m letting knowledge be born and my names the R, A-K-I-M, not like the rest of them I’m not on the list.  That’s what I’m saying, I drop science like a scientist.”  Immediately, the energy in the venue increased.  More people are now occupying seats in the pavilion as well as space on the lawn.  The crowd is more amplified, obviously because we’re standing in the presence of rap deity.  Throughout his whole set, there was nothing animated about him.  His movements were not overly exaggerated.  His rhymes were clearly articulated.  His content and delivery was as distinguished and poignant today, with the same effects as they had twenty four years ago when his first album dropped.  Rakim did practically his whole album:  Eric B for President, Paid In Full, I Aint No Joke, Check Out My Melody, As My Rhymes Go On, I Know You Got Soul and other songs.  As a matter of fact, The R even relieved Technique for a minute on the turntables when he began to scratch the line “Rakim gets stronger as I get older“ from I Know You Got Soul.  After observing arguably the greatest emcee ever also do his thing on the 1‘s and 2‘s, I  was even more convinced of his omnipotence.  And as if that wasn’t enough, in temperatures upwards to ninety degrees, his white Ralph Lauren […]

Check out BIG BOSS E, GRAPE JELLY 2 HOE! GANGSTA GRILLZ HOSTED BY DJ DRAMA. DOWNLOAD the mixtape here for free and see what all the buzz is about! 1.Dboy2.Cocain Usa3.Wats Da Deal4.Throw It5.Bossalini6.Coconut High7.Breakem Off8.Stunny9.Likky Likky10.Gametime11.Popn12.She Wanna Fuk13.Hustler14.F## Boy15.Nasty Bitch16.Fatboy17.Fukfrendz18.Datz Me

When the topic of female MC’s comes up, most people mention Nicki Minaj or an artist from the 90’s. But, Queen Yonasda, an artist that is the granddaughter of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, is seizing the reigns. Yonasda has been on the grind, but not just the Hip-Hop grind. She’s been in the community working for the people in philanthropic movements for Haiti and immigration rights in Arizona. Here is the official video for “So Special,” which evokes the Denzel Washington film “Book of Eli.”  

DJ J. Period has teamed with Spike Lee & 40Acres.com to drop a tribute mixture to the music of Michael Jackson, to celebrate what would have been his 52nd birthday today (August 29th).  J. Period conceived the 80-minute “Man or the Music” mixtape on the eve of Michael Jackson’s passing. The mixtape features Michael Jackson’s classic hits mixed with rare demo versions, as well as behind-the-scenes clips. The Michael Jackson limited edition “Man or the Music (40 Acres Edition) will be available for free during Spike Lee’s 2nd Annual Brooklyn Loves MJ celebration, which is taking place in Prospect Park’s Nethermead Field.  The BKMJ celebration, which is presented by Spike Lee, drew over 25,000 people during the inaugural event in the Brooklyn park last year.  Additionally, J. Period has made the mixtape available for download on his official site, www.jperiod.com/mj.  “This project originated on the night Michael passed last year, when I was asked by a few promotions companies to pull MJ tracks for a DJ blast,” J. Period explained to AllHipHop.com. “Once I started pulling records, I found myself unable to stop, and the next thing I knew I had stayed up all night making the original version of “Man or the Music” —  a stream-of-consciousness mix very different from the usual process for making my tapes.  The following morning, while the media was circling like vultures around every negative aspect of Michael’s life, I made the mix available online and in less than an hour I had 15K downloads, and over 30K after the first 24 hours.  One thing I found that we all have in common: no matter what we think of Michael Jackson’s life, no one can front on his music. And that day, everyone needed their fix.” J. Period is currently working on new releases with John Legend and The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Skillz, Q-Tip and others. To download the Man or the Music mixtape by J. Period, click here.  

Idris Elba is a true blue Hip-Hop head with his feet firmly planted in the culture. Don’t let all the Hollywood glam and glitz fool you. The artist known as Driis is taking his talents to the official Taker mixtape, brought to you by AllHipHop exclusively. Below you will see the tracklisting and the link to download it. Enjoy! [Download]

Developer / Publisher :  2K Games / 2K CzechPlatform: XBOX 360Players: 1Rating: 8 out 10Popular culture has always had a soft spot for organized crime. On screen interpretations like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos only made our infatuation with the mob that much deeper. So it is no surprise that three piece suits and tommy guns have made their way into the world of video games. The problem is that previous attempts of translating that life into an enjoyable video game have for the most part failed. The bar has definitely been raised with Mafia 2(2K Games / 2k Czech).Based in the fictional Empire Bay in the 40’s and 50’s, you assume the role of a poor Italian American Vito who wants to escape a life of poverty. His only way out of a life of hardship is to descend into the underworld of organized crime.  Accompanied by your childhood friend Joe, you start off with low level jobs like petty theft and shaking down small businesses on your journey to being a made man.The world of Mafia 2 is great. The graphics are very sharp and the overall presentation really puts you in the world of mob. Vintage cars blaring classic oldies, the lingo used is spot on and the overall setting in the game seems to be on par to any bustling city during that time period. Additionally the voice acting is impressive and adds a real authenticity to Vito’s world.Where Mafia 2 really shines is its story. The storyline is very robust with twists, turns, guns, booze, backstabbing and more importantly very well done plot and character development. The cut scenes add even more depth as they give this game a great Martin Scorsese feel. It doesn’t hurt that the protagonist Vito is a great character who is at times cruel and conflicted at the same time.At its core the game play can provide some great gangster moments, Mafia 2 does have some gaps to fill to really enjoy the open world of Empire City. The action is stellar though. The missions range from the standard car chases to the super intense assassination plots. There are plenty of gun fights to be had all anchored by a traditional duck and cover system. What does take away from the overall experience is the title’s very linear layout.Empire Bay feels like a big place but outside of your storyline there isn’t much to do there. You don’t have any real productive interaction with any of the civilians and the lack of side missions makes the world of Mafia 2 seems very limited. Also there is no multi-player which takes a bit off the excitement of being mobbed up.Mafia 2 is a well told mobster tale. It might not deeply immerse you into its world like other sandbox titles, but the action and story is well worth the purchase. While it isn’t the video game equation of Don Corleone, this is an offer that shouldn’t be refused.