Young Jeezy feat. Jay-z - My President (DC Mix)
Congrats and big up's to the 44th Prez Barack Obama. The Jiggaman hops on the ode to Barack off of Young Jeezy's political effort The Recession. The impressive verse Jay delivered hit the net yesterday in live video format, but the official song is here! Peep the video below, and the full story for the rest. Drop a line or two about who went in more, Jay or Nas.
Showing posts with label NaS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NaS. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Dope or Nope 1/20 - Our President is Black!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Dope or Nope 1/19: Unreleased Nas (Produced by Kanye)
Nas - The World (Produced by Kanye West)
What's iller than a storytelling track by Nas meshed with soulful Kanye West production? I'm not sure what album this was supposed to appear on, but it's nice. Nas and Kanye should consider doing a project together. "We Major", "Still Dreaming", and "Let There Be Light" are all great tracks and a full album would be crazy!
Friday, January 9, 2009
Takin' Em Back - 1/9
Nas - Nas is Like
I peeped this video interview with Primo earlier this week where he discussed Jay, Wayne, and Nas. As he reminisced about working on one of the greatest hip hop albums, [Illmatic] he stated that if Nas were to do a new project with the same production team as Illmatic (Primo, Q-Tip, LES, etc.), it would be a success. I agree with DJ Premier, tracks like NY State of Mind, 2nd Childhood, and today's throwback joint, Nas is Like; show the chemistry between the two. While I Am and Nastradamus aren't hailed as Nas' greatest material, "Nas is Like" is one of the best joints he put out to date. The poetic lyrics and delivery the DJ Premier laced beat, and the scratches equal pure dopeness.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Polls Is Talkin': Album of the Year x My 5 Favorite Albums of '08
Happy New Years to all! Whatever you do tonight be safe. To bring '08 to an end, I'm posting what readers felt was the album of the year. Based off December's poll, the album of the year is...
Hit up the full story to peep the rest of the results and my top 5.
Poll Results:
1. Lil Wayne - Carter III - 17%
Tied with Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak
Lil Wayne & Kanye west come in at number one of the polls. Ironically, the frequent collaborators had two entirely different expectations for their albums. Lil Wayne appeared on various tracks and made numerous mixtapes leading up to his highly anticipated album; Mr. West on the other hand, did his thing on features as well, but announced he's releasing an album two months before it's date. Although both artists first singles contributed to this year's autotune craze, the overall sounds of these albums were complete opposites. Carter III is this year's highest selling hip hop album, and 808's & Heartbreaks is officially platinum in over a month.
2. Other - 14%
While the poll consisted of over ten popular albums of 2008, there were other candidates that weren't listed. Therefore the "other" answer was available for those who chose otherwise. Here's nine other slept-on joints that potentially could've been the album of the year.
3. T.I. - Paper Trail - 11%
Tied with: Nas - Untitled
Nas' controversial Untitled album (originally titled Nigger) is tied with T.I. whose no stranger to controversy. While this year wasn't a good start for T.I. with his weapons charge and parole violation, Paper Trail turned out to be a success, and is still selling till this day. While the bold Untitled album didn't feature many radio friendly tracks, Nas' point with this album was to speak his mind and cover racial and political topics.
4. The Game - L.A.X. - 8%
Tied With: Q-Tip - The Renaissance
The last tie on the poll is the feature heavy L.A.X., and the jazzy Renaissance album from Q-Tip. Both were great albums, but had entirely different vibes. L.A.X. gave you a west coast feel and had guest appearances ranging from Ne-Yo to Ice Cube. The Renaissance stuck to the traditional A Tribe Called Quest sound, marking Q-Tip's comeback. The Renaissance received good reviews from critics and fans, but unfortunately it failed to reach gold status unlike L.A.X.
5. The Roots - Rising Down 5%
The Roots continue to deliver solid albums with their eighth effort Rising Down. The album was one of the more darker albums of 2008, but out shined a lot of the material that was released this year.
Runners Up:
Common - Universal Mind Control 2%
Ludacris - Theater of the Mind 2%
My Top 5 Albums of 2008:
Click the album title to read the review
1. Nas - Untitled
2. Q-Tip - The Renaissance
3. Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple (no review available)
4. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreak
5. The Roots - Rising Down (no review available)
Thursday, December 11, 2008
20 Classic Hip Hop Album Covers Redone Via Lego
I seen this on illRoots and I had to post this up. Here's 20 classic hip hop album covers redone with Lego's. An ATLiens cover would've been dope. In the full story, you'll peep my favorites and a link to all the rest.
The Game - Doctor's Advocate
Ghostface Killah - Big Doe Rehab
De La Soul - Three Feet High and Rising
Common - Be
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
OutKast - Stankonia
Nas - Stillmatic
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Dope or Nope 11/18: New Dj Drama & Nas!
Dj Drama feat. Nas, June Summers & Smoke DZA - Yacht Music
A smooth, lyrical track by Nas brought to you by DJ Drama. I'm not sure what this will appear on, maybe a Gangsta Grillz album Pt. 2 (shrugs). I like this though.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Big Day is Here - Election Day '08!
After months of hype, propaganda, and debates, election day is finally here. I strongly encourage all registered voters to go out and vote today. This is a historical election with potentially the first black president. Let your opinion be heard and remember every vote counts.
"America surprise us, and let a black man guide us" - Nas
UPDATE: Speaking of Nas, 2dopeboyz up'ed this joint "Election Night" which is another dedication to Barack Obama and this exciting day.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
A Special Message From Nas: Go Out In Vote!
Election day is two weeks away. Play your part and place your ballad. Don't vote just because Nas said so, vote because you're a US citizen which gives you the right to voice your opinion by default. Of course I'm rollin wit Obama, but evaluate both candidates before putting your bids in.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Seeing is Believing 10/9: New Nas, Murs & Mike Jones Vids!
Nas feat. The Game & Chris Brown - Make The World Go Round
My least favorite track from the powerful Untitled album, yet it's still a decent track. This is the most appealing track off the album and hopefully this will bring it past gold status.
Murs - Can It Be
Second video this week from Murs off the Murs For President joint. Don't sleep.
Mike Jones feat. Trey Songz & Twista - Cutty Buddy
Mike Jones second single off the Voice of the Streets album due out Nov. 11th.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
News: Rick Ross Says Here I Am, Admits His Past x Nas, Face, & Cube Rumored to Form a Trio x Lil Wayne Still Grindin'
Rick Ross Finally Admits he was a Correctional Officer
A couple of months ago, Rick Ross had the internet going nuts. Not over new music, over rumors about his past profession as an correctional officer. Images began to surface the net of him on the job and eventually turned into a huge photoshop joke. The Boss recently spoke with a magazine and admitted it was him in a photo when asked if it was him. In Ross' defense, he said "I never tried to hide my past. I put my name inside my cds. My company has my SS#. I could've put a company name... I done been up and I done been down and that's what makes me what I am. I never ratted on a nigga. I never prosecuted a nigga. I never locked up a nigga, that's first and foremost. I always felt that me being the nigga that I am, I never owed a nigga an explanation... When I'm making my music and I'm talking about blow, it's because I did it. When I say that I'm rich off cocaine, it's because i did it. Those are the street principals that apply."
He should've said that from the jump and sparred him the embarrassment. As I've said before, hip hop fans are forgiving and eventually they'll get over it. A lot of rappers get their cards pulled and are still relevant.
Click here to read the rest of the story
Scarface, Ice Cube, & Nas Rumored to Form Supergroup
Scarface's final album Emeritus is due out in December. Face stated that before he bows out the game he always dreamed of doing a collabo project with Nas, Cube, and himself. As soon as Ice Cube heard the word, he was hyped about bringing it to life. Here's what he had to say about it "I think the album would be crazy, lyrics would be sick, and Hip-Hop would love it. It’s just making that business happen, that’s the part that gets funky. I ain’t never turned down these kind of projects, they just don’t happen for whatever reasons. But I’m up for some s**t like this because I know we can make a dope record."
The only person who hasn't responded yet is Nas. It's a good chance that this will be official.
Click here to read the rest of the story
Lil' Wayne Preparing Tha Carter IV, Dedication 3 Mixtape, and T-Wayne Collabo
Hip Hop's hardest working artist is back in the lab preparing the fourth installment of Tha Carter series. In addition to the Carter series, he's also dropping the third disk of the highly popular mixtape series, The Dedication with Dj Drama. The "T-Wayne" project with Lil' Wayne & T-Pain was announced during the summer, and it is now in the works. T-Wayne has three or four untitled tracks that are already completed. Tha Carter IV and T-Wayne "He Rap, He Sang" will both be out in 2009.
Click here to read the rest of the story
Monday, September 22, 2008
Seeing Is Believing 9/22: New Nas, Ne-Yo, R. Kelly, & More Vids!
Nas - Yall My Niggas
New video for "Yall My Niggas" off the controversial album Untitled. I'm liking this video, big ups to Nas for keeping the music and the visuals powerful!
Kids in the Hall feat. Estelle - Love Hangover
Love Hangover - Kidz in the Hall feat Estelle
Second single off The In Crowd. Kidz In The Hall is pretty dope, dont sleep on these dudes!
Ne-Yo feat. Jamie Foxx & Fabolous - She Got Her Own (Miss Independent Remix)
The remix to Ne-Yo's current single "Miss Independent". This joint features Jamie Foxx & Fabolous, nice track & vid.
R. Kelly - Skin
Second single off 12 Play: Fourth Quarter. R. Kelly's latest attempt to get his career back on track. If you missed the BET interview with Kellz, click here.
Ryan Leslie feat. Fabolous & Cassie - Addiction (Alternate Version)
An alternate version of Ryan Leslie's single "Addiction" with Fab & the lovely Cassie. The song is the same, but the video is different, by the way, where is Cassie?
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Polls Is Talkin': The Best Rapper Alive Is...
The people have spoken. Based on a recent poll asking "Who really is the best rapper alive", there still was no answer since the results were all ties. The main three were the two self-proclaimed "best rappers alive", while the other was one of my favorite MC's of all time, Andre 3000. Peep the results below:
1. Andre 3000 - 19% (tie)
2. Jay-z - 19% (tie)
3. Lil Wayne - 19% (tie)
4. Kanye West - 9% (tie)
5. Nas - 9% (tie)
6. Lupe Fiasco - 9% (tie)
*If you aren't feeling the results, do your thing and vote!
Click Here to Peep the Full Story!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Dope or Nope 8/19: New Jeezy feat. Nas!
Young Jeezy feat. Nas - My President is Black
In 2006 when Nas announced his album title "Hip Hop is Dead", it caused controversy in the rap game. Artists such as Dem Franchise Boyz, T.I., and others expressed their thoughts about the title. One artists who did it publicly on a radio station in Philly was Young Jeezy, who heavily criticized Nas' street credibility and eventually walked off the radio station furiously. About two years later, Jeezy takes a more political approach with his latest LP and reconciled his differences with Nas to bring a conscious record titled "My President is Black". Young Jeezy spoke to MTV about the track about how Nas went in on it, and dude was right. Check the link below. The Recession in stores Sept. 2nd.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Nas Interview w/ Tavis Smiley
I'm a day late, but better late than never. I peeped this on illRoots.com, new Nas interview with Tavis Smiley. Nas discusses everything from the controversy from his current release, to his inspirations, to the N word itself. Some real talk said here, peep the vid.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Rock The Bells 2008 Recap
The Rock the Bells concert took place on August 9th in San Bernardino, CA at the Glen Helen Pavilion. Despite the heat, it was an amazing show and definitely worth it. Peep the full story to get a breakdown of the acts.
Main Stage:
Wale - A good way to kick off Rock The Bells. Wale (pronounced Wah-Lay) is a newcomer from DC. He performed tracks off his Mixtape About Nothing, and his most known track W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.
Dead Prez - Dead Prez hit the stage to perform joints off Revolutionary But Gangsta and also tracks off of their debut LP Let's Get Free including the classic "Hip Hop".
Murs - Rock The Bells was my first time hearing from Murs and he's kinda nice. Murs surprised the crowd by bringing out West Coast pioneer Dj Quik. Unfortunately Dj Quik only performed two songs, it was still a dope surprise appearance.
Immortal Technique - Immortal Technique brought out underground mc Chino XL onto stage as he preached to the crowd. Immortal Technique dropped dope, sophisticated rhymes filled with knowledge and aggression.
Rakim - I would hate to say this about the God MC, but his performance was a bit lethargic. The music was dope as always, but he could've hyped it up a bit.
De La Soul - Unfortunately I missed a majority of their performance trying to grab something to eat. I did catch it from "Oooh" and the classic "Buddy" by the Native Tongues, and a couple of others.
Raekwon & Ghostface Killah - Two of my favorite mc's in and outside of the Wu graced the stage at Rock The Bells to perform tracks from the classic Only Built For Cuban Linx, Supreme Clientele, 36 Chambers, and other albums from the Wu-Tang catalog. The highlight of the performance was "Triumph". Raekwon also announced that Only Built For Cuban Linx 2 will be out in February of 2009.
Method Man & Redman - Meth & Red had the crowd hyped from start to finish. The set started with Redman on a solo tip with Method Man making a late and exciting entrance. The set ended with "Da Rockwilder" and Meth & Red doing stage dives. They also announced they will be dropping the sequel to the Blackout album this year!
Surprise Guests - The surprise guest turned out to be the Black Eyed Peas minus Fergie. They were the only performers to use a live band to supply the music.
The Pharcyde - The Pharcyde had a nice set reuniting all four members. The Pharcyde started their performance off with "Runnin" and ended it on a nostalgic note with "Passin' Me By"
Mos Def - Mos Def put on a great show performing joints off Black on Both Sides, and True Magic.
Nas - Hands down the highlight of the show. Nas started off doing joints from his current album Untitled, and then took the crowd down memory lane through Nas' discography. From Illmatic to Stillmatic, to God's Son, Nas performed numerous tracks with high energy and charisma. Nas also said Fuck Bill O'Rielly and Fuck Fox News.
A Tribe Called Quest- The second best performance of Rock The Bells. The set started with Q-Tip performing tracks off his upcoming album and the slept-on Amplified album. He also had Mos Def with him to hype up the crowd. Later on, the rest of the members of A Tribe Called Quest to perform hits such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It", "Electric Relaxation", "Award Tour", and many others.
Second stage:
The second stage had other acts such as The Cool Kids, Kidz in The Hall, The Pack, Tyga, MF Doom and others. The only two that I got a chance to see were Tyga and The Pack. I wish I could've seen the performance of an supposed imposter MF Doom that wrapped up the second stage, which led to angry fans throwing things and booing the impostor. Check the video below:
I heard a rumor that MF Doom is preparing a new album titled DOOMposter where the theme of the album is him addressing an MF Doom impostor who's been posing as MF Doom at shows like the video shown above. Hopefully he can redeem himself with that idea.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Seeing Is Believing 8/4: Nas & Jay-z Rock The Bells Performance! Plus David Banner & Trina Vids
Jay-z & Nas - Success & Black Republican Peformance from Rock the Bells!
I'm happy to see these two grace the stage, but I'm mad the surprise Jay-z appearance during Nas' segments been spoiled. On the other hand, this only made the Rock The Bells hype even bigger! Rock The Bells tour will take place at Glen Helen Pavilion this Saturday 8/9. Where will you be?
David Banner feat. Lil Wayne - Shawty Say
Second single off The Greatest Story Ever Told.
Trina feat. Killer Mike - Look Back At It
I never been a fan, but this shit kinda knocks.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Quick News: Diddy Engaged, Nas vs. Bill O'Reilly, and More!
Cassie and Diddy Rumored to be Engaged
I'm not a hater, but I'm hatin! I'm jokin but I give props to Puff for takin one of the baddest chicks off the market. Though they've been engaged since early June, it was supposed to be on the low, but in the entertainment industry, there's no such thing as a secret. There's no set date for the marriage between the two.
Bill O'Reilly Gets At Nas
On July 23rd, Nas participated in a boycott started by ColorofChange.org and MoveOn.org protesting Fox News and Bill O'Reilly. Prior to that, Nas also released a song on his album titled "Sly Fox" expressing his thoughts on Fox and Bill's blatant racist remarks that are targeted towards African Americans and Barack Obama. Apparently Bill O'Reilly is aware of Nas' actions and had some words to say. Check the video below...
Sounds like Mr. O'Reilly is salty about Nas speaking up. Instead of ignoring Nas like he says people should do, he shows his unprofessionalism with a short segment of him taunting Nas and attempting to embarass him announcing "low" first week album sales. He makes it seem as if Nas' aim were to sale as many records as possible, but he is just aiming to get his message out.
More Rick Ross Pics Emerge!
Okay not official flicks, but just some funny ass Photoshop'd joints. Check the pics & vid below.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
News: Nas Debuts at #1 & Supports a Movement!
Nas' latest LP debuts at #1 on the charts moving 180,947 units. That's pretty damn good considering the commotion he went thru trying to get the title accepted and the late promotion. Call Untitled/Nigger a gimmick if you want, Nas just had to get some shit off his chest.
Nas - Sly Fox
In other Nas news, life imitates art with the boycott of Fox news. If you've been under a rock, Nas has a song titled "Sly Fox" addressing the blatant racism and from Fox News and Bill O'Reilly (please check the video above). Nas has joined the boycott of Fox News that was started by ColorofChange.org and MoveOn.org. The petition has over 600,000 signatures and the boycott will take place tomorrow at 2pm at Fox's headquarters in Manhattan, New York.
I'm liking this movement right here. I feel if something obviously isn't right, we as a people definitely have to bring it to attention. If we don't say a word this ignorance will continue. Joking about Obama's assassination, calling his wife "Obama's baby mama", and debating a lynching party for Michelle Obama; is it me or should prejudice statements like that not even be allowed on the air? Good luck with this one.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Album Review: Nas - Untitled
Disclaimer: This is my first ever album review. Don't consider this a warning, consider it an accomplisment.
Nas - Untitled
4.5/5
It’s been 14 years since Queens Bridge MC Nas debuted with the classic album, Illmatic. Since 94', Nas has been one of hip hop's most original and prolific artists touching various subjects and kicking pure knowledge. Esco is back with his follow up to his last album Hip Hop Is Dead. While the title caused a raucous in the hip hop community and exposed the insecurity of artists' music (unintentionally), Nas came with an even more controversial title, Nigger. Once the title was released to the public, controversy emerged in no time. Fellow music artists like Jay-z, Akon, and Alicia Keys supported the album titles message, but others like the NAACP opposed it. Eventually, the album title had to be changed in order to be released. Fans (including myself) were displeased with the album’s title removal, but we all know what the original title is. 
On the albums lead single “Hero”, Nas raps “So untitled it is, I never change nothin’/ But people remember this/If Nas can't say it, think about these talented kids/With new ideas being told what they can and can't spit”
The album starts off with Nas going in over a sampled piano instrumental produced by newcomer rapper and producer Jay Electronica. The laid-back instrumental and abrasive delivery set the tone of the album. Nas even takes shots at 50 Cent when he drops lines like “Take 27 emcee's put them in a line and they're out of alignment/my assignment since he said retirement
hiding behind 8 Mile and The Chronic/Gets rich but dies rhyming/...Now add 23 more from Queens to B-more/I'm over their heads, like a bulimic on a seesaw/Now that's 50 porch monkeys ate up at the same time”
At a time where mainstream hip hop mainly consists of rapping about materialism, sex, and drug trafficking; Nas took a completely different direction with his latest effort. Nas collaborated with R&B singer Chris Brown and The Game on “Make the World Go Round” which has the most mainstream appeal out of all the songs on the album. The rest of the albums content is discussing black stereotypes (N.I.G.G.E.R., Yall My Niggas), historical racism (You Can’t Stop Us Now), and politics (America, Black President). One of the standout tracks, “Sly Fox”, Nas exposes Fox and CBS’ propaganda and the lack of support for the hip hop community. Nas also has words for hip hop's biggest supporter Bill O’Reilly (sarcasms) for attempting to remove Nas from a free concert for Virginia Tech. Another standout track on the album is “Fried Chicken” featuring Busta Rhymes. Nas and Busta rap over a smooth instrumental produced by UK producer Mark Ronson, about Fried Chicken.
The album ends with “Black President”, an ode to the presidential candidate Barack Obama. Nas discusses the possibilities and outcome of Barack’s potential victory this November. It features a sample from 2pac’s “I wonder if Heaven’s Got Ghetto” that states “and though it seems heaven-sent, we ain’t ready to have a black President”
In conclusion, this album is a superb effort by Nas. He’s definitely proved that he is at the status where he doesn’t have to strive for mainstream appeal, and he can make music from his point of view, projecting his opinion about society. Hip Hop needs albums like this at this day and age.
To sum it up in one word: Powerful.
Rock The Bells 2008!
The lineup has been out for a minute, but I'm posting this for those who missed it. This has gotta be the hottest show since the Glow In The Dark Tour brought to you by Kanye and co. Nas and A Tribe Called Quest alone is worth it, but when you throw in Ghost & Rae, Red & Meth, Rakim, and a slew of others, you got one hell of a show. Rock the Bells will take place August 9th at the Glen Helen Pavilion in San Bernadino (and yes, tickets are still on sale). I'll be there, where will you be?
Click here for more info!
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