Red x Meth on Carson Daly.

Good interview. Great performance...but not as good as the one I saw in person last night. Hahaaaaaa.

THE NBA: WHERE CAUCASIAN HAPPENS.

Hi-lar-ious. This was created by Kno from the Cunninlyguists, who just happens to be white. It's so good, it's even Kanye approved.

What Ever Happened To: Tracey Lee?

It's paaaaaaaaarty time. Ohhhhh, it's paaaaaaaaarty time. Having a partyyyyyy, come on!

On this edition of Forgotten Fridays we reminisce over you, Tracey Lee. The Philly bred rapper had moderate commercial success and made a splash in 1997 with club rockin, house party anthem "The Theme" (It's Party Time)" [above]. I swear to Jesus, they played this song every damn day on BET in 1997. You couldn't get away from it.

Even though Tray Lee was from Philly, he pretty much held down Washington D.C., being that he was attending Howard University when his debut album, Many Facez dropped. I think I'm one of the only 17 people on the planet who bought the CD but straight up, I can't front on that album. It's actually pretty dope. It was a pseudo-concept album in which Tracey Lee took on the "many faces" of his personality and actually rhymes from the perspective of his 5 different personas: L. (the rhymer), Tray (the smooth playboy), LR (the rugged and serious one who sounded like Rock from Heltah Skeltah), Rock (the party goer, who sounded nothing like Rock fro Heltah Skeltah), and Mr. Lee (the business man). He even changed his flow and voice for every one. It was kinda clever, and kinda corny at the same time. But it worked.

Regardless, the album is an underrated gem. The truly amazing thing about it was that he somehow managed to get Busta Rhymes and Biggie Smalls to make guest appearances. This was a no-name rapper outta Philly who had 2 of the biggest rap stars on the planet on his debut album. The Biggie collab isn't that far fetched, considering Tracey Lee was attending Howard, which was also Puffy's alma mater, and he and Big would always be up at the campus for shows and to Party & Bullshit. But Busta Rhymes? Who knows. The Busta song, "The After Party" [below] is also one of the best songs on the album. Other stand out tracks include: Stars In The East, Rugged One, Keep Your Hands High (ft. Biggie Smalls).

So, what ever happened to Tracey Lee? He only dropped one album, and then he dropped from the face of the hip hop landscape. Well, according to his MySpace page, which he keeps current and check regularly, he just graduated from Law School at The Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, LA where he received his Juris Doctorate in the field of Law. Looks like he wasn't just making rap song while he was at Howard.

He is currently making moves as a music attorney, and says, "I hope to not only put myself in a better position to navigate my way through the ups and downs of the music business, but also, and more importantly, I want to provide the type of guidance and knowledge to those that are new to the game that will enable them to make informed decisions, as it relates to their music careers."

That's what's up, Tray. It's good to see a rap artist who left the game for bigger and better things, instead of street corners and G-packs of crack. Or prison. Props to you Tracey Lee, and those songs you made 12 years are still knockin in my iPod today. We salute you. I even found him on Twitter. Follow him and show some love.

Thank you,
Hip Hop Official: Finding rappers who the masses have forgotten.

[PHOTOS] Method Man x Redman in L.A.

Meth Tical and Funk Doc da Spot smashed LA last night at the Highlands. On top of the new joints off the Blackout! 2 album, you know they had to drop some of the classics from the 90's. In fact, when "Da Rockwilder" came on it completely destroyed the building. I think the Highlands might need to call in some contractors to rebuild that muthafucka.

Mad people were in attendance last night including Erick Sermon (who blessed the stage with "Music", The Rza (who tore it down with Meth doing "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta Fuck With", Yo-Yo, Affion Crockett, DeRay Davis, Diz Gibran, Tri-State, Planet Asia, DJ Drama and of course, Gio Basicali. Method Man did his usual crowd surfing, Redman did his usual shit talking. Check the flicks and then hate yourself for missing such a dope show.

Travis Barker Remixes Eminem.

This dude is bad ass. And his Rogue Status drum set is fresh.

Wu-Tang Live @ The Apollo in 1997.

Classic. Historic. Everybody's there except the RZA. ODB blesses the stage something fierce. The crowd goes insane. Great times all around.

Shout out to YN for making these embeddable. I know that's not a word, but fuck it. I just made it one.

C-Murder Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison.

...For shooting up a night club, and then annnnnnnother club the same year. Now that's when keeping it real goes wrong. Above is the surveillance footage of C-Murder, who obviously takes his name too seriously, attempting to kill a club owner in Baton Rouge, Louisiana back in 2001. Luckily for everyone involved he has bad aim his gun jameed. The former No Limit solider, and brother of Master P, plead no contest to second degree attempted murder charges, and will spend the next decade behind bars. Now all he has to worry about now is his upcoming re-trial for the 2002 murder of 16 year old Steven Thomas at another club in Harvey, Louisiana. Yo, Murder, please stay out the club, homie.

BROTHER ALI: An MC For the People.

Of everybody I've ever interviewed in my lifetime, Brother Ali is by far one of the greatest. He's easy going, laid back, extremely willing to talk, and best of all, thoughtful with his responses. Fuck a generic, canned, cookie cutter answer, Ali is about being open with the audience and expressing himself. And that's what he did in this interview. If you notice, we just let him talk. Not too much editing, cutting, or flashiness. Why? Because it doesn't need it.

In this one, Brother Ali talks about battling as a youngin’, his origins of being an emcee and how his next album, The Street Preacher, will reflect the people’s struggle, as opposed to his auto-biographical ways on his previous efforts. Shout out to Ali, thanks for the great interview.

[VIDEO] Soul Assassins (ft. Sick Jacken & Evidence) - "Classical"

Yo Muggs, I love this beat. So dope. This one is from their upcoming album, Intermission in stores June 23rd.

[BONUS] DOWNLOAD: Soul Assassins (ft. Sick Jacken & Evidence) - "Classical"

Nike Sportswear Blazer Lite.

I need this in my life. Blazers are one of my favorite models. The rip-stop nylon is bonkers. The color is perfect for the summer. It just makes sense. They drop in June at Tier 0 NSW Pinnacle accounts only. If you don't know what that means, then I don't know what to tell you except, "good luck."

THROWBACK THURSDAYS.

Emimen - "Just Don't Give A Fuck"

I mean, he does have the biggest album in the world right now. It's only right. This was the song that started it all.

DAMN, I WISH I WAS ON THAT JOINT!!!

In another edition of "I Wish I As On That", hip hop artists like Mickey Factz, Izza Kizza, and Bambu talk about classic songs that they wish they could have been a part of, and why. I love hearing cats answer this question, it gets them every time. So...which song would you want to be on and why??

[NEW] The Dropouts (DNEZ x El Prez) - "Cop Trees"

"This is strictly for my Cali Kush Smokers & Medical Card Holders" (c) El Prez

Inglewood's own El Prez & DNEZ, also known as The Dropouts, have returned with a blazin (see what I did there?) smoker anthem just in time for the summer months. This joint (hahaaa I did it again!) is produced by Jansport J. It's the 1st leak off of El Prez upcoming mixtape Animal Style which drops this July.

FCC All Day. Respect my conglomerate.

[DOWNLOAD] The Dropouts (DNEZ x El Prez) - "Cop Trees"

Follow all these cats on Twitter: El Prez | DNEZ | Jansport J

HAVOC TALKS ABOUT J DILLA.

The H-A-V-O-C from Mobb Deep talks about the late great genius that was J Dilla. Havoc is a beast on the beats, so he knows what he's talking about. Pay attention. Havoc spit on a track for the upcoming Dilla album, Jay Stay Paid, which drops next Tuesday. And would you look at that, we have that one for you below...

[BONUS] DOWNLOAD: J Dilla (ft. Havoc & Raekwon) - 24K Rap

[VIDEO] Kanye West - "Paranoid"

"You worry about the wrong thing...the wrong thing."

The latest in moving pictures from Mr. West. This one stars Rihanna in what looks like a photo shoot from 1987. Oh Knaye, you're so artsy.

UPDATE: Evidently, this is the wrong version. It was leaked and Kanye is pissed:

"IT HURTS ME TO SEE THE OLD AND VERY WRONG VERSION OF THE PARANOID VIDEO GET LEAKED ALL OVER THE NET WHILE I WAS ON AN 11 HR FLIGHT AND COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. IT'S JUST FRUSTRATING WHEN THIS STUFF HAPPENS BECAUSE I REALLY CARE ABOUT THE PRODUCT AND SINCE VIDEOS NEVER GET PLAYED ANY WAY YOU MIGHT AS WELL TWEAK THEM AND MAKE THEM AS SPECIAL AS POSSIBLE. THE VERSION THAT GOT LEAKED FROM THE CAMERA PHONE LAST WEEK IS AT LEAST A LITTLE CLOSER TO THE FINAL PRODUCT. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR SUPPORT BUT THAT VIDEO WAS NOT UP TO MY STANDARDS. HERE'S SOME SCREEN SHOTS FROM THE REAL VIDEO"

ON THE ROAD WITH WALE: Part 1

Here is the first installment of a 10-part video podcast series with Wale, in which Microspft Zune follows the Washington D.C. rapper around on his Attention Deficit Tour, which is circling the country as you read this. That's all fine and dandy, Microsoft, except we had this idea first. And second.

Regardless, it's a dope behind the scenes look into his world. Damn you Microsoft for having a bigger budget.

Own John Legend's Watch For Only $32K.

That's right, people. For just over $30,000 you can owe a (time)piece of one of the planet's most famous singers. John Legend and luxury watch makers Audemars Piguet Millenary Pianoforte have teamed up for this limited edition watch with only 500 in existence. According to Luxist the watch has musical theme, using piano keys on the dial instead of numbers. Additionally, it has an engraved pic of Legend and his autograph on the back. Oh yeah, and it's also worth an estimated $32 G’s.

The watch will actually be auctioned off for less than the $32,000 for Legend’s “Show Me” Organization. Bid here if you got the chips. It’s already up to $24K. Ya'll wanna go half on it with me?

Black Star x Rocksmith.

To commemorate the highly anticipated on-stage return of Black Star, the legendary duo of Mos Def and Talib Kweli, Rocksmith is releasing two brand new t-shirts on May 30th. The two designs will be available during the Black Star show this Saturday at Nokia Theater in NYC. A limited quantity will also be available on Karmaloop.com. I might just have to cop one, or both.

[VIDEO] DJ Quik & Kurupt - "Do You Know"

Here's a video from the duo's upcoming album, BlaQKout which hits stores June 9th. We interviewed these 2 about their first ever collaborative album, if you missed that go here.

WESTCOAST WEDNESDAY.

Hieroglyphics - "Soweto"

For those of you who are scratching your heads, Soweto is a town in Johannesburg, South Africa. It's one of the poorest regions in Johannesburg, and was made famous for an uprising on June 16th, 1976 between black youths and the South African authorities. The riots grew out of protests against the policies of the National Party government and its apartheid regime. Police opened fire on 10,000 students marching from Naledi High School to Orlando Stadium, and in the events that unfolded, over 500 people died. June 16th is now a recognized as the holiday, Youth Day.

Soweto is also credited as one of the founding places for kwaito, which is a style of hip-hop specific to South Africa. It combines various elements of American hip-hop, house music, and traditional African music, and became a widespread form of expression amongst black South Africans. The spread of Soweto in popular culture influenced Hiero, and this song reflects the terrible conditions and changing social order in Soweto, saying that cowardice has ruled this area, but how now the "gems" of the youth need to express themselves.

They say you learn something new everyday, and hopefully you just did.

BustaTV.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present the first segment of Busta Rhymes new online series, BustaTV. Evidently, there's a lot of bullshit going on.

[VIDEO] Keelay & Zaire - "Alright With Me" (ft. D-Minor & Phonte)

Keelay and Zaire are dope on the beats. Phonte is dope on the rhymes. D-Minor is dope on the vocals. Dope + Dope + Dope = Overdose. That much dope would impress Pablo Escobar. This one pretty much seems like a no brainer.

Table for Six.

This is dope. Six talented hip hop artists: Cook Classics, 6th Sense, Outasight, Tunji, Nieve, and TiRon stopped by the VIMBY compound (which happens to be around the corner) for some late noon freestyles. Cook and 6th on the beats, the others on the spits. This is what we like to call a jam session. The homie 6th Sense has a dope interview that will be appearing on Hip Hop Official in the VERY near future, so as always...stay tuned.

She Keeps On Passin Me By.

The Pharcyde on In Living Color? Can you get any more classic than that? How about Jamie Foxx introducing the song? You got it. The shitty part is that Fox was a bunch of assholes and always cut the performances off before they were over. Couldn't they figure out a way to squeeze in a full performance at the end of the show? Ah Fuck it. Enjoy this one kiddos.

Courtesy of the MOD.

[NEW] U-N-I : "Land Of The Kings"

This dropped last week, but like I mentioned I was on vacation, so it's only right that I show the homies some proper shine. This is the latest joint from Thurz and Y-O, and truth be told, it's on some next level epicness. I mean, how could it not be with a name like "Land Of The Kings?" That's like naming your son Maximus. He better be gangster.

[DOWNLOAD] U-N-I : "Land Of The Kings"

Courtesy of X.

You can also catch Thurzday in an upcoming cameo for the music video that I produced last week for the homie Basicali. Stay tuned for that in the next couple of weeks.

T.I. Goes to Prison.

Today T.I. is official behind bars. The Rapper, Clifford Harris, checked himself into the (minimum security) federal prison in Forrest City, Arkansas, according to one of his attorneys. The 28-year-old rapper was sentenced to 366 days in Club Fed after he was busted trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers from undercover federal agents back in 2007.



The Urban Daily has also reported that T.I. and his girlfriend Tameka “Tiny” Cottle finally got married before TIP entered prison:

“Its been a crazy situation around here with all that has been taking place. In regards to Tiny and T.I., yes they are officially husband and wife,” said the source who wished to remain anonymous because they were not at liberty to officially discuss the issue. “It recently took place in a very private ceremony with only members of the immediate family and certain members of the Grand Hustle family.”


Good for him. Now he has those conjugal visits to look forward to. But if I were a betting man, I'd put money down that we see T.I. in the streets before his 1 year and 1 day prison sentence is up...

Beastie Boys x The Roots.

Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D were on Late Night w/ Jimmy Fallon last night, and you know what happens when rappers appear on that show, right? Hopefully you've been paying attention thus far. The Brooklyn trio perform "So Watcha Want" live with the Roots backing them. This is butter. These guys are older than some of your parents and are STILL killin it.

The Beastie Boys also announced that their upcoming album, the first since 2007’s instrumental effort The Mix-Up, will be titled Hot Sauce Committee. The trio, which has a slew of festival dates lined up this summer, appeared on Jimmy Fallon last night to talk Hot Sauce and the Check Your Head rerelease. They also mentioned that Hot Sauce will be out sometime in September and that parts of the album were recorded on a submarine inside Paul Allen’s yacht. Now that's jiggy.

AND WE'RE BACK....

Ladies, Gentlemen, and Low Lifes...

After a week long hiatus from work, we're back on the grind. I pretty much didn't even turn on a computer, and took a much needed mental break from anything hip hop internet related. Because of that this blog was on PAUSE like a suspect Weezy verse. But don't worry, we got some really dope upcoming shit for you, including new features, new writers, and even a surprise or three. So thanks for rocking with us til the wheelz fall off. We do this for you.

...Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Basicali - "I Choose You: EP" [DOWNLOAD]

We all know there are tons of albums of from noteworthy dropping today. But before you go cop Eminem, Busta Rhymes, or Red & Meth, you need to download this album. The big homie Basicali just dropped his EP titled, I Choose You, presented by Acrylick Clothing. It's feel good, uplifting music that actually has some substance and a message. I know... different right? Not to mention the dope ass beats. Plus, you can bump this joint in front of your Momma and she'll be feeling it. What's better than head nodding mothers? It's also FREE, that's what.

It's a perfect way to kick off the summer in Cali style.

[DOWNLOAD HERE.]

Tracklisting

1. I Choose You
2. Second Chance
3. Fuck Pluggin That Dumb Shit
4. Get Free
5. Roses

IN THE LAB w/ DJ Quik.

Quik's opening line of this piece says it all...

"I never do this for camera...you are luuuuucky.

In this brand new segment, you get to step into the studio with iconic producer and westcoast legend, DJ Quik, as he shows off some of his favorite studio toys and drops some production insight on the people. Any production junkie or true hiphop fan will love this one of a kind segment. This is some one of kind access right here, courtesy of Hip Hop Official.

ARTIST OF THE WEEK: Busta Rhymes.

Without question, Busta Rhymes is a Hip-Hop legend. He's took the game by storm back in 1992 as he stole the show on the historic "Scenario" posse cut. I mean, his verse stills stands up to today's standards, and I've never met anyone who can't quote a line from his verse And he continues to do it to this day. The Bussa Bus has a brand new album dropping today, appropriately titled Back On My B.S. In a recent sit down interview after a show in L.A., Busta opens up about how he never wants to retire and still rocking out a the ripe old age of 65. Why? Because he loves Hip-Hop. He also explains the god-like feeling he gets from being able to move the crowd and make em say some shit he thought up in his crib over a bowl of cereal. That's power.

Enjoy the interview...

MISS MONDAYS.

Method Man (ft. Mary J. Blige) - "All I Need"

The Queen of Hip Hop Soul lends her voice to one of the grimiest love songs of all time. And I'm glad she did.

"Plus I love that you got a mind of your own,
No need to shop around, got the good stuff at home."

ASK A RAPPER...AGAIN.

Earlier in the week, we hit you with Part 1 of Ask A Rapper with Bishop Lamont. Well, you knew it was coming, here's Part 2. Fans ask Bishop more questions about Dr. Dre (of course), and what his favorite music is. If you enjoyed Part 1, then why are you even still reading this? You should have clicked play about 17 seconds ago. Stop procrastinating.

Asher Roth - "Be By Myself" [LIVE]

Ok, it's just a coincidence that there are a lot of white rapper posts today. Don't think I'm being biased or anything.

*listens to Beastie Boys*

But here's a dope little video, with highly amazing quality audio and like 5 different cameras angles, none of them being a camera phone. It's incredibly refreshing. But enough about me, Asher Roth performs out our showcase at SXSW a few months back. Here he does his song "Be By Myself" featuring Cee-Lo, but unfortunately Cee-Lo didn't show up for this performance. Ah well.

*listens to Atmosphere*

Cage Interview.

Sometimes we develop a predisposed opinion or notion about an artist based solely on their music. You know, you feel like you already know how they're going to be before you even meet them. Sometimes it's spot on, and other times it couldn't be farther from that little made up image in your brain.

I interviewed Cage last month at the Paid Dues festival in Los Angeles, and to be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect before the interview. I thought he would be angry or uncooperative, and unwilling to talk to me. Maybe cocky. Maybe aloof. Definitely mad. It was the total opposite. He's mad humble, and surprisingly down to earth, and I think he even enjoyed talking to me. Yes, he does seem like somewhat of an introvert, but he is highly insightful and once we started talking he definitely opened up. Dude has been through a lot, seen a lot, and has a lot to say. And it's dope, because he actually cares about what he is saying, as opposed to some people who just talk to hear themselves talk.

Anyway, long story short - this is a good interview. Even if you're not a fan of his music, I think you'll be entertained and engaged by the interview. If you are a fan of his music then you're probably like the interview even more. He talks about his new upcoming album, Depart From Me, in which he went with a new sound and new direction. He explains the personal growth and reasons that he choose to go with a new sound and the obvious consequences of diverting from what people expect from you. Bottom line, he doesn't care. He makes the music that he wants to make based on what he is experiencing in his life and where he is drawing the inspiration from. And that's how I think it should be, ladies and germs.

Enjoy.

Eminem - "We Made You" [Live on BBC]

This has got to be his first live televised performance in yeeeeeears. Em performs his song "We Made You" live on BBC’s show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. (That's in the UK for you slow readers out there, United Kingdom for the even slower readers). And he does pretty well. But he either looks (a) nervous or (b) concentrating so hard on the lyrics that he looks nervous. He doesn't really make any eye contact with the cameras or audience, but it doesn't really effect his performance, he pretty much nails the entire song.

Shot out to The Alchemist who's DJing the set for Marshall.

[VIDEO] D-Block - "Get My Paper"

Jadakiss x Styles P x Sheek Louch throw down a feel good joint about the reason why we all work, grind, hustle, struggle, make moves and put in those blood, sweat, and tears: To survive and get that paper. Shout out to you and yours, I hope you're living well. I know I am. Love life everyday. Plus I just got my paper today, too. Every 1st and 15th, baby.

What Ever Happened To: Blahzay Blahzay?

When the East is in the house...Oh My God.

On this edition of Forgotten Fridays we reminisce over you, Blahzay Blahzay. The Brooklyn, New York duo consisted of Outloud and DJ/Producer P.F. Cuttin, and they killed it in 1996 with their underground banger "Danger" (above) which featured a slick sample from Jeru Da Damaja's "Come Clean".

They only released one album, Blah Blah Blah, in 1996 under PolyGram Records. Although the album didn't do that well, the single for "Danger" had heads nodding across the country. The song will always be "one of those tracks" that everybody knows as soon as they hear the first line. It's a classic to any hip hop connoisseur and was essential the reemergence of New York hip hop in the mid 90's. They did have another video that I remember watching on Yo! MTV Raps and The Box (what you know about that.) The song was called "Pain I Feel" and after listening to it again today, I was impressed. Classic sounding New York boom bap hip hop with dope rhymes, scratched hooks, and that bounce that makes your neck snap. If this joint came out today, it would be posted on this blog and added to the iPod with a swiftness.

But honestly, I have no idea what happened to these guys. Besides their album and music video, Blahzay Blahzay left very little trace of their existence. I tried to do some research and found a measly Wikipedia entry and that's it. No website, no MySpace page, no nothing.

If anyone has any more info regarding the whereabouts of Blahzay Blahzay., please contact us immediately. We need your help.

Thank you,
Hip Hop Official: Finding rappers who the masses have forgotten.

Eminem Bonus Tracks.

Here are extra specials tracks from Eminem's upcoming album, Relapse, which hits stores next Tuesday, May 19.

This first one is Marshall trying to exercise the demon that is his psychotic and drugged-addicted alter ego, Slim Shady. Interesting. And a little twisted. Eminem vs. Slim Shady, the final showdown.

Eminem - "My Darling"

The second track is Em addressing all the rumors circulating his hiatus, drug addictions, relapse, and haters. This album is definitely Em digging deep into his inner-self and writing from his heart. It's gonna be twisted, deep, heartfelt and at times difficult to listen to. I really don't know what to expect from it, except Em pour his soul out on the tracks.

Eminem - "Care For What You Wish For"

Courtesy of Mr. X

Common To Join The A-Team?

Rumor has it that rapper/actor/cologne salesmen Common is set to join the cast of the movie version of the classic 80's tv show, The A-Team. (Sidebar: The A-Team was one of my favorite TV shows when I was a little lad. I wanted a black van likes theres until I realized only pedophiles drive vans. And their TV theme is one of the top 5 TV Theme songs of all time. )

Ok, back to the blog post. Common. Right, he's being rumored to play the role of the legendary B.A. Baracus, who we all know was played by Mr.T on the O.G. show. That's an interesting role for the laid back Common, who also said that he can't do the mohawk... but they'll "work something out." Wait...what? No mohawk? That's his signature. That's like Slick Rick not rocking gold chains, MF DOOM not rocking his metal face, or DMX not getting arrested. Come on, Comm...you can't play B.A. Baracus without the mohawk, foo!

(We've gone ahead and through advanced computer technology made a composite of what Common would look like if he, in fact, could do a mohawk. And it looks a little like this.)

The movie is being directed by Joe Carnahan, who also directed “Smokin Aces” which featured Common. Word is Carnahan personally wanted Common for the role. Word? Personally, I always thought Ice Cube would be perfect to play Mr. T, but that's just me...

Or is it?

Eminem x Undefeated.

Sneaker boutique and Undefeated has teamed up with some guy named Eminem for a t-shirt. I guess this guy has an album coming out or something? I don't really know...I've been really busy with work lately and am kinda out of the loop.

Anyway, you can buy this t-shirt from Eminem's website. Treat yourself, or it will make a great gift for a loved one. Act now!

[NEW] T.I. (ft. Mary J. Blige) - "Don’t Forget"

This sounds like a song from a guy who's headed to prison. Seriously. It's not like this is going to be his last song ever. But it almost comes off that way. I mean, the hook is pretty blatant:

"Don't forget.....
To remember me"

First of all, that doesn't really make sense. "Not forgetting" and "remembering" are the same exact thing. It's like a double negative or something. But not. Maybe it's a double positive. Regardless, it's redundant. But don't worry T.I., you're only going to prison for a year and a day. Rappers disappear for much longer than that and stay relevant. (Eminem). And besides, you can start blogging from your cell in ALL CAPS and come up with crazy wild-out conspiracy theories. It worked for Prodigy.

[DOWNLOAD]: T.I. (ft. Mary J. Blige) - "Don’t Forget"

Courtesy of the NMC.

Throwback Thursdays.

Common - "The Light"

...It's kinda fresh you listen to more than hip-hop.

Welcome To Brooklynati.

We caught up with hip hop group, Tanya Morgan (yes, that's a group), who reps from Brooklyn and Cincinnati on their latest album, Brooklynati. I just copped this album, and it's off the hook. The homie 88-Keys joins the interview to add his 2 cents and drop a hilarious story about the trio. Word to the wise, don't heckle Von Pea. You have been warned.

ASK A RAPPER.

In our latest installment of Ask A Rapper, we hit one of the westcoast's true soliders, Bishop Lamont. Fans ask Bishop any question they want, from working with the good doctor Dre, to his favorite must-have items when recording. And trust me when I tell you we didn't ask just any ol' rapper. We asked a hilarious rapper.

Check for Part 2 next week.

U-God Interview.

In a recent interview with the Wu legend, Golden Arms talks about the struggle behind his solo career versus the enormous success he reached with the Wu-Tang Clan. He keeps it real, fa sho. I like that. He's not happy with the level of success he's had with solo career, and he's out to change that. I'm not mad either. This song stills knocks to me.

Tonight in Los Angeles.

Our in-house DJ, Mister Mike, (you know you've seen him holding it down in our live performances) is spinning at a brand new event at Club Menage in Pasadena. Tonight is the Grand Opening so get in where you fit in. He will be spinnin old school hip hop, top 40, 80’s electro mashup’s from 12am-2am. There's go to be a special performance from Kay and BlacHeat from InDaGround. LADIES ARE IN FREE ALL NIGHT and guys are 10 bucks.

Tonight in Los Angeles.

Our in-house DJ, Mister Mike, (you know you've seen him holding it down in our live performances) is spinning at a brand new event at Club Menage in Pasadena. Tonight is the Grand Opening so get in where you fit in. He will be spinnin old school hip hop, top 40, 80’s electro mashup’s from 12am-2am. There's go to be a special performance from Kay and BlacHeat from InDaGround. LADIES ARE IN FREE ALL NIGHT and guys are 10 bucks.

Snoop Dogg Pulls His Weed Card.

Yesterday cops in Norfolk, VA got a tip that a suspicious package arrived in the mail from Canada to the Norfolk Plaza Hotel, where Snoop and and his crew were staying. The cops smelled something fishy kushy, so they monitored the package that was addressed to a member of Snoop's entourage, then swooped in and arrested the dude for misdemeanor marijuana possession.

That's when the Doggfather showed up in the lobby and told cops the weed was for him, and then flashed his medical marijuana card. We don't know if the card worked. The dude whose name was on the package was arrested and cops are still investigating. Let's see if Snoop is able to take the rap (no pun) and let his homie slide free. But yo, for real, who sends weed in the mail? Everybody knows that the easiest way to get caught. So I've heard.

[VIDEO] Talib Kweli - "Holy Moly"

Talib Kweli supports Hip Hop Official, so Hip Hop Official supports Talib Kweli.

Joell Ortiz Covers The Classics. [MIXTAPE]

The name says it all. Joell goes in on 33 of your favorite hip hop classics, everything from "Know The Ledge" to "Children's Story" to "T.R.O.Y." to "Get Money." Basically, if you've listened to hip hop in the past 20 years, Joell murders a song you love. And when I say murder, I mean the good kind. Not the sloppy, embarrassing, "Oh shit, look what I did now" O.J. kind.

[DOWNLOAD HERE.]

Spotted at Nah Right.

Westcoast Wednesday.

Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Doggy Dogg World"

My favorite song off Doggystyle. Yep, I just said that. Taadow. This was one of the best songs in the summer of 1994. And it still stands the test of time. It was a heater 15 years ago, and it's gonna be a heater in 15 more.

"You think you got the bomb 'cause I rolled you a joint?"

Jay Stay Paid.

“Possibly the best posthumous rap record since the final releases of 2Pac and Biggie.”
-Rolling Stone Magazine

By now most everyone is familiar with the story of musical legend J Dilla. The quiet, prolific producer collaborated with everyone from Eryka Badu to Common to Janet Jackson to Prince. Dilla was just beginning to capitalize on his cult status when he sadly passed at age 32 due to Lupus-related complications. Jay Stay Paid is a 28 track collection of unreleased Dilla beats mixed and arranged by Pete Rock. Yes, that Pete Rock. While mostly instrumental, “J$P” also offers a few guests vocals from artists that Dilla worked with or admired including Black Thought of The Roots, MF DOOM, Havoc, M.O.P. , Raekwon and more.

Curtailing any notion of jumping on some sort of Dilla bangwagon, Jay Stay Paid was executive produced by Dilla’s mother Maureen Yancey (aka Ma Dukes) along with the musical supervision of Dilla’s only real musical idol, Pete Rock. “It wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t haphazard,” explains Ms. Yancey. “This album combines what he did in the beginning of his career, what he did in some of our early hospital stays, which was very deep, and some stuff pulled from old floppy disks & DATs. Its mind blowing…this is like the missing links to Dilla’s legacy.”

The format of the album plays like a radio show with Pete Rock as the program director. With regards to Pete’s involvement, Ms. Yancey gets very excited, “Dilla wanted to pattern himself behind Pete. His dream was to become as close as possible to what Pete stood for. Pete meant everything to him. Dilla would have just been flabbergasted! ” Pete’s sentiments were the same toward Dilla, “Dude was amazing. He just kinda came outta nowhere and the more you heard his beats the better they got. He may not be here with us, but it’s all good we’re going to keep his music alive and well.”

The album drops June 2nd. The tracklist is below:

1. KJay FM Dedication
2. King
3. I Told Yall
4. Lazer Gunne Funke
5. In The Night (Owl N Out) – While you slept (I crept)
6. Smoke feat. Blu
7. Blood Sport feat. Lil Fame of M.O.P.
8. caDILLAc
9. Expensive Whip
10. Kaklow (Jump On It)
11. Digi Dirt feat. Phat Kat
12. Dilla Bot Vs. The Hybrid feat. Danny Brown & Constantine
13. Milk Money
14. Spacecowboy Vs. Bobble Head
15. Reality Check feat. Black Thought | Clean
16. On Stilts
17. Fire Wood Drumstix feat. DOOM
18. Glamour Sho75 (09)
19. 10,000 Watts
20. 9th Caller
21. Make It Fast Mega Mix (Unadulterated Mix) feat. Diz Gibran
22. 24K Rap feat. Havoc of Mobb Deep & Raekwon
23. Big City
24. Pay Day feat. Frank Nitty of Frank n’ Dank
25. See That Boy Fly feat. Illa J & Cue D
26. Coming Back
27. Mythsysizer
28. KJay and We Out

adidas x Def Jam.

Adidas has linked up with Def Jam records to commemorate their 25 years in the biz. It's only right, considering that they have been linked together since Run DMC in 1985. Well, now the Three Stripes have dropped a handful of new colorways for Def Jam, as well as some for individual artist like Redman, Method Man, Young Jeezy and Ghostface Killah (which I think are the only ones I'd cop).

Ghostface:


Method Man:


Redman:


Young Jeezy:


Rest of the collection: