Photos from Rock The Bells 2008 - Los Angeles

As you all know, Hip Hop Official was live+direct from the Glen Helen Pavilion in Los Angeles San Bernardino for the Rock The Bells Tour 2008. We took hundreds of photos from the event, featuring all your favorite rappers and your favorite rapper's favorite rappers.

I don't have to tell you that it was the Hip-Hop event of the year (Sorry Kanye). Everyone who performed ripped it. Not one person left unsatisfied... Well, except those that came to see MF DOOM.

Shout out to Jay Three Photogrpahy for the sick camera work.

Part 1.

Click HERE to view entire gallery.

Part 2.

Click HERE to view entire gallery.

We'll have video from the event coming this week...Stay Tuned.

[VIDEO] Santogold - "Lights Out"

Fresh video. It's a little different sound from Santo - not so much dub/hiphop, but more "new new wave." But it's still fresh. She is currently out on tour with Coldplay.

Thanks to Pitchfork.

[VIDEO] Cut Chemist - "My 1st Big Break"

New video from the Cut Chemist. It's the first video ever shot with a 360 panoramic lens. Think about that for a second. This might blow your mind.

[VIDEO] Kanye West - "Champion"

Kanye + Crank Yankers + The Olympics = "Champion" video.

Artist of the Week: 88-Keys

88 Keys: a producer, making the crossover to emcee. He's best known for his work with Mos Def and Rawkus - he produced Black Star's "Thieves In The Night"

He just dropped a mixtape a few months back and is set to drop his debut album, The Death Of Adam, October 28th. The mixtape is mad fresh, his sample selection is mad creative and highly original. Oh yeah, he's also a proud father of two future superstars. Get to know 88-Keys...



[BONUS] DOWNLOAD: 88-Keys - "Just LIKE a Man" (ft. Guilty Simpson)
[BONUS] DOWNLOAD: 88-Keys - "21 & Over" (ft. Big Sean)

[VIDEO] Invincible - "Sledgehammer"

Damn, this girl is dope. Invincible is a female MC from Detroit, down with the typical Rock CIty cats: elZhi, Guilty SImpson, Phat Kat, Black Milk, Now On, Buff1, and One Be Lo.

I know Hip-Hop is a male dominant culture, and a misogynistic one at that. I also know that some people don't get down with female emcees. But I don't need to tell you that Invincible can hold her own against any emcee - male or female. This girl has flow + lyrics, and a smooth voice to match. If there's one thing I can't stand in a female emcee is a rough neck voice (sorry Foxy). That shit is a total turnoff to me. I like my aural pleasure nice and smooth.

This track appears on her album, Shape Shifters, and was produced by 14KT and Hair Cut (Now On), from the Lab Techs. Impressive.

[NEW] Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z" (prod. by Kanye West)

Here it is...the first taste of The Blueprint 3, featuring the 2 biggest rap superstars on the planet (Sorry Weezy). It's a banging old school sounding track with a perfect Run DMC sample. You already know what Jigga does. Props to Nah Right for this gem. It's the clean version, but it'll do... UPDATE: Added the dirty version for those of you who aren't offended by foul language.


DOWNLOAD: Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z" (prod. by Kanye West)[Dirty]

DOWNLOAD: Jay-Z - "Jockin' Jay-Z" (prod. by Kanye West)[Clean]



PREVIOUSLY: Jay Z + Kanye = Blueprint 3

Fake MF Doom.

So I've heard rumors and stories about Doom not showing up for shows, but instead having a stand-in, a Doom imposture if you will, show up and lip synch to the CD while hiding behind his Metal Face mask. Well, evidently this happened again. It went down this weekend at the biggest hip hop festival of the year, he Rock The Bells show in Los Angeles. Doom was the headlining act for the secondary stage, and when it was time for him to perform...well, he wasn't really performing. In fact, it wasn't even him.

I was at the show, but not at the stage when it went down (Nas was performing on the main), but I heard the ruckus. People were PISSED. Watch the video, the fans knew within the first 40 seconds that something was mad fishy. They started booing and throwing shit on stage immediately. Evidently, this wasn't the first time he's done this to Guerilla Union (the company who puts on the RTB event), in fact, he was performing this year in order to make up for him pulling this same fuckery on them before. The worst part is, they paid him upfront. Needless to say, the fans and Guerilla Union were not happy with MF Dupe. Or should we call him Masked Fake Doom?

This begs the question. Is MF Doom even real? Is it really one person? We all know he has like 17 different aliases. He ALWAYS performs with the mask and wears it in interviews and photo shoots. Has anyone ever really met him sans-mask? Have we been duped the whole time?

Why do people still pay him to perform? It's only a matter of time before he's blackballed from the industry. And I bet he's sitting in a lounge chair right now laughing at all of us.

Rock The Bells L.A.

Hip Hop Official was on hand for the Rock The Bells show in Los Angeles San Bernardino this weekend, and let me just say - standing on stage, with Mos Def to my right, and De La to my left, and watching Tribe perform in front of 40,000 screaming fans was one of the sickest events I've ever been a part of. It was historic, and they tore it down. I know most people were there to see Nas, but Tribe was definitely the most memorable part of the show. Believe that.

Here are some photos we took during some of our interviews, but this is just a taste. We'll have about 500+ more photos for you tomorrow, plus interviews and footage from the event on Wednesday. Keep on refreshin.

(We had some skateboards made with the HHO and Rock the Bells logo, as well as the names of every artist on the bill. We had every artist sign them, and will be auctioning them off for charity in the not so distant future, so stay tuned for that.)

The Notorious B.L.O.G. Version 2.0

Change is rapidly approaching. This blog isn't going anywhere, but it will undergo an Extreme Home Makeover. The powers that be (my bosses) have decided to change the look, layout, and possibly name of the blog. Why? Well, this blog represents Hip Hop Official, and Hip Hop Official is a part of Go TV, and Go TV is media company that has to cater to board members, investors, and clients. They like branding. It's a good business tactic. So the new blog will look like all the other Hip Hip Official pages.

Sorry for the sudden change, I know it can be difficult to accept. It's a shock to me as well. Stay strong. We can all get through this together.

Thanks to the loyal and devoted readers, keep peeping the page as often as you do. Don't be alarmed when you come here next time - it may look a little different, but it will always remain the same: strictly hip-hop. The current links and URL will still work, so if you have this page bookmarked or set as a favorite, it will still work.

The Notorious B.L.O.G. is Ready To Die.

Jay-Z + Kanye = Blueprint 3

Originally, the word on the streets blogs was that Timbaland was going to produce Jay-Z's final Def Jam album. Now, some new details surfaced that dispel those rumors. Mick Boogie revealed the new details, and lets just say, if this is true it's going to be epically epic.

+ Kanye will indeed be producing most, if not all, of the album. Remember back in the day when an artist would do a whole album with one producer for cohesiveness? Think classic Snoop or Jeru with Primo... and fast forward it to 2008.

+ Jay will be leaking the finished version of "Jockin" as soon as he adds a new 3rd verse to the song.

+ Tracks to look for include the aforementioned "Jockin' Jay-Z" and a new track entitled "Victory" that the rumor mill says is simply amazing.

Here's a taste of what to expect...

R.I.P.

Bernie Mac (October 5, 1957 – August 9, 2008)



Isaac Hayes (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008)

Today.

I'm on my way.

I'll have a full write up and review on Monday, and backstage access and interviews with all your favorite artists next week. Stay tuned...

[NEW] The Game - "Superman" (prod by Just Blaze)

East meets West.

Off The Game's upcoming (and final?) album, L.A.X.

Meet...The Knux.

The brothers Krispy Kreme and Rah Almillio form the Knux, the latest alternative hip-hop crew from LA, by way of New Orleans. Hip Hop Official caught up with the dudes performing at the Roxy in Los Angeles, opening for DJ AM and Travis Barker. Get to know these dudes...their album Remind Me In 3 Days drops later this year...

[BONUS] DOWNLOAD: The Knux - "Cappuccino"