"That’s How it's Supposed To Be, Living Young and Wild and Free"

While I wouldn't consider this in the same ballpark as their first collaboration (That Good) off the upcoming High School Soundtrack, it's still noteworthy considering the crazy chemistry the two habitual blunt smokers have. Consider it a care-free spring anthem that is every bit as mellow as it is unapologetically rebellious, perfect for a movie about High School.

What I'm wondering is whether or not Rolling Papers (March 29th), Doggumentary (March 29th) and High School (April 20th) being released within a month is a good or bad thing. With @SNOOPDOGG now on studio album 11 and @REALWIZKHALIFA on his 3rd studio album, there's enough experience to give confidence in the quality of all three, especially given their new school Cheech and Chong brotherhood they've got goin on (big fan of Snoop's hat above...goes without saying). Remains to be seen, but if you're feelin' particularly rebellious and don't really GAF, you may take a liking to this fun sing along that's probably going to become more than a few teens' favorite song here in a few weeks...

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa - Young Wild & Free

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WRIB? Wye Oak vs Rod Lee - Dance My Pain Away

It's not often that you get the chance to hear an indie artist cover a hip hop artist, but such is the case when Baltimore natives Wye Oak covered fellow B-More native Rod Lee.

Wye Oak - Dance My Pain Away
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The song is called Dance My Pain Away and it was a hit in east coast clubs early last year. It wasn't until recently that I heard it though, and credit @wyeoak with the assist. Their take on it is much more melancholy, forcing you to take notice of the sadness in the lyrics that sometimes escape you when you hear @DJRODLEE sing.

DJ Rod Lee - Dance My Pain Away
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It's not that the emotion isn't fully apparent in the original, it is. It's just masked slightly better by the catchiness of the instrumental surrounding it.

All in all, I'd say it's everything you could hope for in a cover. A different, equally great rendition, that shines light on an artist that Wye Oak fans might not have otherwise known about, while also paying homage to a fellow artist from the same town. #Bmore

Great job guys!

As a bonus, check out one of Wye Oak's other tracks I'm a fan of, My Neighbor...

Wye Oak - My Neighbor
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Kevin Cossom is a Name You Should Know

In a week, I'd consider myself fortunate to find one track produced by Danjahandz, Boi-1da and The Runners. They're three of the best producers in Hip Hop and R&B and when artist go to them for tracks, their sights are usually on a top 10 single on iTunes that will be the basis for why people will want to buy their album. I say all this because three tracks, all sung by @KEVINCOSSOM flashed across the radar. The one below prod by Danja gets top billing with the @boi1da produced demo Change Your Mind coming in a close second. And now that I listen to @therealrunners produced track My Love, I'm starting to have reservations about my rankings because that's a hot track too.

Oh and if you missed it last week, Kevin's new video with @iamdiddy @MYFABOLOUSLIFE made plenty of waves on MTV. Check the video below and iTunes for the track if you were late to the party...

I'm hoping some of the above mentioned tracks aren't all demo tracks and that he uses the to put together an epic debut album. No word on a release date, but we can all hope for 2011 being the year when Jive puts some backing behind one of the most talented up and coming R&B artists.

Kevin Cossum - On & On (prod by Danjahandz)

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Videos of the Week

Eventful week with plenty of entertaining videos, like the short film video from @drdre of his new single I Need a Doctor. Seems like between this one and all of Kanye's latest films (with a bit of music in between) are continuing a trend of creating a deep, engaging plot. Can't hate on the value added drama on the storylines or the blatant product placement from the likes of Ferrari, HP and Gatorade...#ShamelessButLucrative.

Appreciated the tribute to the late Eric Wright (Eazy E) with him visiting his grave site at the end of the video with plenty of N.W.A. clips scattered throughout...

We also got a @liltunechi cameo on the remix of @mikeposner's formerly underrated Bow Chicka Wow Wow track...

Finally, do you remember that movie that came out last year? Somethin' about a Vegas trip and bachelor party? Yea, the Wolfpack is back this Memorial Day with The Hangover 2 in Thailand with Stu getting married this time. Can it top the first? HELL NO! The sequel is never as surprising or good, but does it have the potential to be hilarious like the first?...#UBetchaSweetAssItDoes

Can Love Come Out of Lust?

Since Timbaland Thursdays took a break this week, I felt like going outside the box for tonight's post. On the low, I've been a fan of Lykke Li for a minute now. To say she's different is apropos, but doesn't quite do justice to the music she's capable of creating. I say that because she's got an intriguing voice and when combined with her electronic samples that blend with the percussion to create an almost tribal sound to her music...it's real easy for me to appreciate the uniqueness of her sound. As a sample, check out her new video for her first single off Wounded Rhymes, I Follow Rivers...

Oh and in case you missed it, Spin Magazine gave her new album Wounded Rhymes an 8/10 with a description, "Ms. Freeze: Steely vamp turns heartbreak into a chilling spectacle". The praise laden review should attract plenty of people to iTunes when it lands there on March 1st.

What you can expect from the track below (her best song to date in my eyes) is a Pure Moods-esque ballad that will have you trying to understand what the hell she's trying to say. When you finally wrap your brain around it, you'll appreciate the positivity it emanates, imploring anyone listening to love freely and dance often...

"We will live longer than I will
 We will be better than I was
 We can cross rivers with our will
 We can do better than I can
 So dance while you can
 Dance cause you must
 Love out of lust
 Dance while you can"

Anybody else feel like they're listening to Pocohontas with those flutes in the background? Whatever it is, it's beautiful and @lykkeliofficial has the vocals to shine all over it. Put it this way, Lykke Li is to M.I.A. is what Katie Perry is to Ke$sha, a little less batshit crazy and subsequently less in your face and more artistic. To each their own, but I'm digging her style like a swagger jacker with a shovel. Don't sleep on her album folks, she's the real deal...

Lykke Li - Love Out of Lust

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Bonus: Feel free to stream her album below from SoundCloud thanks to Hype Machine...

Winter's Almost Over, But You Still Gotta Bundle Up

Wow...didn't see this one comin', but I'd liken it to finding a layin' $100 on the sidewalk with no one in sight to claim it. Just when you thought @chuckisdope & @SirMichaelRocks were always gonna be that underground rap group that everyone silently admired for for their Old Spice fresh style that set trends rather than following them, they all the sudden pop up (pun intended) on the Mountain Dew branded Green Label Sound with a ferocious new single. True to their style, the dumbed down, signature 808 bass dominates over a sick rolling synth. Simply put this track is disgusting, it goes hard in a real subtle, old school way, which is something the @coolxkids have become known for over the years.

It's cool too that through all the record label bullshit they've went through, they finally copped a record deal that would make most Hip Hop artists jealous as hell. I say that because “Mountain Dew is waiving the usual label share of the revenue, leaving all income, minus iTunes processing fees, to the artists” (Source). In an interesting symbiotic relationship, the Pepsi owned brand is more or less waiving their profit off The Cool Kids debut album When Fish Ride Bicycles in exchange for being able to use The Cool Kids to promote their products. Regardless of whether or not Green Label Sound will be able to market music as well as soda, it's still part of an interesting trend the music industry is going through, swaying some of the power back to the artists as they now have more options than the used to have. The music sells itself and with a little promotion from a company with limitless re$ource$, it's looking like the perfect storm for Chuck and Mikey. Time will tell, but you've got the green light to be more than excited about lots of new music coming from the Chi-town trendsetters...

When Fish Ride Bicycles, due out next month, that's #22bitches...

The Cool Kids - Bundle Up

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Buzz Track: Donnis - Me & My Boo

Yet another great track off @donnisxdonnis's debut Southern Lights. This all coming before his performance and video shoot for the Me & My Boo video in Hawaii. Looking forward to the video, especially the part where his credit card melts?

Til then, the mp3 will more than suffice as Donnis shows off a laid back, melodic side, mixing in a catchy hook over a simple, but bouncy beat delivered by @freeschoolmusic. Put it this way, shooting a video for Me & My Boo in Hawaii is perfect because it will match the calypso vibe the beat creates. I'm not sure y'all appreciate Donnis much quite yet, but that time is coming. Feel like it's my job to keep posting his continually dope tracks until he catches on and posting videos like the one below with him in studio goin' in on his previous track I posted, Blackberry Molasses.

Dude's got talent, the swagger of a veteran and to top it off, even served in the armed forces, holdin' down the Air Force in Japan for a few years. Are you still worried he's not gonna put in the hard work to become one of the best? Yea that's what I thought! (T.I. voice). Give it a listen and please add his debut album to the likes of J Cole and Wiz Khalifa's because he's got just as much goin' for him musically right now...

Donnis - Me & My Boo (prod by Free School)

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"I Hope You Know That I'm For Real, My Love is Super Size, Ain't No Happy Meal"

Now this is a rare sight...a 21st century Hip Hop track advising safe sex. Before y'all get gangsta on @chiddybang like it's cool to Cromartie hoes, think twice before judging and instead, think back to that time where some woman you happened to smack bellies with called saying that time of the month has cum and gone without any noticeable change. GULP! You've been there and while more often than not it ends up working out (maybe that's being too optimistic), it's still takes you more than a few notches up in maturity real quick. #FamilyPlanning > #RecreationalBabyRoulette

Nonetheless, I'm a huge buyer of Drexel U's own Chiddy Bang and serious dap is in store for @train for their genre crossing collab. Maybe you can't easily discern that the soul from the track is coming from them, but it's well placed and a unique mash up of Contemporary and Indie talent. Indie to me is becoming riddled with artists that Contemporary radio fans haven't heard of yet. As a result, I'd say the term Indie lends to the connotative buzz that an artist is about to blow up. Ya know, the artist with the buzz that doesn't have a deal yet because a record exec hasn't thrown a bunch of money at him? Yet, he's still got a loyal underground following that almost assures future success (i.e. @realWizKhalifa). That's what Twitter has given artists, a chance to build an army of fans, which gives the people who care about numbers and hold the $$$ the ability to more accurately quantify and predict the success of someone they're about to place a huge bet on. (Which reminds me follow @gwdj...haha that was shameless)

It's a fun track and even if it's too bubble gum for you, you can't hate on the attempt to perpetuate the thought that protected sex isn't a bad thing. Track aside, took some balls to go against the grain, mad respect to these guys ------>Chiddy Bang...

Chiddy Bang feat Train - Baby Roulette

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"It's Like These People Are Steps Now, All They Do is Stare"

In case you (for some strange reason) didn't think @Eminem deserved to win best Hip Hop album at the Grammys this week, give a listen to the track below Fly Away. I say it like that because the track didn't make the cut for his award winning album Recovery. Tell me any other Hip Hop album would have not been better with the addition of a @justblaze produced track like the one below. I'd even argue, it woulda fit perfectly as a single for Eminem because it fits the mold of damn near every single he's put out, with the "rising above life's problems and persevering message" being the driving force of emotion for the track.

Big fan of the slightly auto-tune aided hook that the Megatron Don brought to the track too. The uplifting march of the beat is aligns with the sound Eminem has copyrighted over the years. The sound allows his abrasive, full of energy, emotional delivery to come across as genuine and inspirational. That's why he's one of the best and if you're gonna continue to hate, plain and simply...

"Homie you got it backwards, your dippin your soup inside ya crackers"

As a bonus, check out a few of the pics found over at Nah Right for his new video Space Bound. Making an appearance in the video is the beautiful @sashagrey. Love that track, I always thought it was overlooked, until I saw the rumors about it being a single. Guess it's not as underrated or unappreciated as I thought...

Eminem - Fly Away (prod by Just Blaze)

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Kanye West feat Rihanna Kid Cudi - All of the Lights (Video)

New much anticipated video from @kanyewest for his single All of the Lights. Shouts out to @HYPEWILLIAMS on the production of the video. When it comes to Hip Hop videos, there isn't any better than Hype if you want an attention grabbing, well put together video...

Can't discount the sexiness of Ms. Fenty either, she damn near steals the show with her attire...

"Style Come With Excellence and Money Make Benevolence"

You could say being associated in any way to @realwizkhalifa is a great thing right now with Black and Yellow and Roll Up wrecking shop on iTunes. Still, I'd hesitate to attribute much of @MACMILLER's success to Wiz, even though they share the same Rostrum Records/High School/Taylor Gang affiliations. I say that because dude is starting to take flight on his own with tracks like the one below, Donald Trump, off his upcoming mixtape Best Day Ever, which drops on March 11th.

I'll say this, if you like Wiz Khalifa's style of rapping and his non-chalant, laid back flow, you're gonna feel the same way about Mac Miller. Both have and undeniable independence with the way they go about their business and you could say they both indulge in Kush on a daily basis, for medicinal purposes of course (HAH!). For real tho, both smoke a lotta weed man and although I'm not one to indulge myself, I'm fully in support of them continuing whatever habits they are currently doing as long as it results in me getting to hear more great music...#Selfish

Don't discount the production by @TheRealSap either, dude just signed with @coolanddre and if his beats are anything like the on you hear below on the track, there's plenty reason to get excited for what's to come. As a second sidebar, you may have missed Wiz and Mac releasing a boat load of tour dates this week. Below are the dates, you can count me in on all the PA shows...#CyaThere...

Mac Miller - Donald Trump (prod by Sap)

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Timbaland Thursdays: Timbaland feat Lyrica Anderson - Mentally

Yet another top notch cut from @timbaland007 with his signature #TimbalandThursdays release of Mentally with @LYRICAANDERSON. Timbo has stated a few times via Twitter that his upcoming Shock Value 3 is going to feature quite a bit of names you haven't heard of like singer/song writer, Lyrica and a Alt Rock band Rekapse (@rekapse). Wondering if he'll be able to turn lesser known artists/bands with talent into household names is a waste of time, just ask Keri Hilson, Aaliyah, One Republic, Bubba Sparxxx, Petey Pablo...I could go on, but you get it...

I appreciate the change of gears on Mentally, opting for more of a pop sounds, which is a contrast to the past couple Hip Hop/R&B dominated Timbo Thursday tracks. Worry not Timbaland fan, the percussion heavy beat still steals the show with Lyrica's hook a close second. Sure the comparisons to @misskeribaby are eminent, but I like the fact that first and foremost she has made a name for herself as a writer for the likes of Charice and Hannah Montana. Always got love and respect for artists that are thoughtful and creative enough to pen their own verses.

I'd say this is in competition with 808 for top Timbaland Thurs track so far. Whatcha think? Am I off? #YouBeTheJudge...

Timbaland feat Lyrica Anderson - Mentally

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"Aero Dynamic, Roof Panoramic, My Credit Score Let the Dealer Take Full Advantage"

New track off @PUSHA_T's upcoming mixtape Fear of God, which was slated for a September 2010 release, but was pushed waaay back to early '11. As a team, Pusha and @malice757 made up a fearsome duo that made a lot of great music as the Clipse. When it comes to going solo though, it's clear why Kanye scooped up Pusha to join G.O.O.D. Music. If you need any evidence, give another listen to King Push's verse on Kanye's Runaway. (Honorable mention to his verse on Christian Dior Denim Flow)

Recent tracks aside, his new track My God, featuring the production from @hitboy_SC makes a clear statement that his new solo material is not to be slept on. Sure it's one thing to get a few high profile features (like I mentioned above), but to do it on your own, with your sound that mixes dope beats from up and coming producers to go along with you're already renowned flow...it's like making a jump from Double A to the bigs. Who lotta people can make it to Double A off a couple breaks, knowing people and some talent, but not everyone can hit that 98 mph fastball like Pusha. Literally no gimmicks or candy coated hooks on this one, just bar after bar over a back and forth beat with hint of organ throughout. Oh yea and lots and lots of talk about that white girl...

I say Amen! to all the top notch acts like@kanyewest and @eminem deciding this year to sign a whole bunch of under appreciated, undersold, legitimately underrated artists like your @PUSHA_T's, @bigsean's, @yelawolf's and @DaRealSlaughter's. I caution though, we saw what happened when a whole lotta great talent came together under one roof, lots of mixed results so far. Hopefully, Hip Hop isn't the same and my comparison will turn out to be apples to oranges. We'll see, but for now you should be excited about the prospects of Pusha T putting out a full length anything, whether that be a mixtape or a studio album. Oh yea and do yourself a favor and cop anything coming outta the @SurfClubMusic right now from the likes of @chasencashe or @hitboy_SC, everything I'm hearing from that camp screams BUY! for 2011...

Pusha T - My God (prod by Hit Boy)

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Local Natives...I Want You Back

So, friends, I'm sure many of you are dying to know what I plan to do on my birthday at the end of this month. I know that's what I'd be wondering if I were you. Well, I'll be in Los Angeles, spending an evening with the Local Natives, attending their homecoming show at the most magnificent Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The @LOCALNATIVES are a band I've been in love with ever since I heard their music for the first time in the form of Airplanes.

Local Natives - Airplanes

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It's a song about losing a loved one before you're ready to see them go. It can take on a variety of meanings, depending on the listener, but in this instance, it's about losing a Grandfather who was both a good friend and a great role model- a feeling I can most definitely relate to.

It wasn't until I heard their song, World News, that I knew this was a band I was destined to fall in love with. Everything about this song makes me bob my head and smile. I have to restrain myself from singing along at the top of my lungs- a battle I know I'll lose when I see these guys in person.

Local Natives - World News

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The last song I want you to hear is their song Eyes Wide, which is a remix done by @foolsgoldrecs, featuring rapper Ken Kaniff Aristotle. It's a vastly different take on the original, Wide Eyes, and the artists couldn't be any more different, but this song amazes me in that it never feels out of place.

Local Natives - Wide Eyes (Fools Gold remix)

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Hip Hop Grammy Performances

Really doe, Esparanza (@espespalding)??? C'MON MAN (Keyshawn Johnson voice)!! #TheGrammysHateHipHop. Need some evidence that Grammy voters are a little long in the tooth? Welp, you could say there was a whole crime scene's worth last night. The fact everyone had to Google who beat out Drake and Biebs for best new artist is a joke. I get it, I get it it's funny a BASSist conquered all Hip Hop acts...ha ha mo h r f c in HA! Still was an entertaining night though, check the videos below...

Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Florence Welch, Martina McBride & Yolanda Adams - Aretha Franklin Tribute

Bruno Mars, B.o.B & Janelle Monae - Nothin On You/Grenade/Cold War

Lady Gaga - Born This Way

Justin Bieber & Usher - Never Say Never/OMG

Cee-Lo Green - Forget You (w/ Gwyneth Paltrow)

Eminem, Dr. Dre, Rihanna & Skylar Grey - Medley

Rihanna & Drake - What's My Name

Buzz Track: AON - Star Pham

With everyone who has produced or created a great song in the past year getting their dap on the Grammy's tonight, I feel like tonight is as good a night as any to post a track you haven't heard yet from the youngin' AON. Like any artist on the come up @aonmusik is doin' all he can to brand himself and blaze his own trail, determined that his talent and constant grind will someday make him a household name. And to be honest, with the consistently hot music he's been putting out of late, his time will come. Whether it be through high profile collaborations like his newest mixtape Young World Vol 1S hosted by @DJ_GREENLANTERN and featuring collaborations with @WALE (Hater Watch Me) and @iyazlive (My Girl, he's on the path to getting noticed, all he needs is a little exposure.

Shout outs to Steeze Records for puttin' him on too, behind every great new artist is a camp that believes in him and he's got that. Give it a listen y'all...

AON - Star Pham

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Feel free to stream his new mixtape off datpiff below...be sure to check his track Dolla From a Change, which is still in heavy circulation on my iPod playlists...

"For You I'll Jump Off Noah's Ark, Love is Blind and Hope is Dark"

While Carter 4 is still in the oven and probably gonna take more time than a baked potato to cook fully, @liltunechi is back on his grind of hoppin' on any and every hit song imaginable. Last week it was Green and Yellow, this week he adds an intro verse on @brunomars's hit Grenade. Gotta love it when Weezy gets all poetic...

And I don’t mind when we fall out
As long as we fall back into it
I hope we never put an end to it
Even though you not that into it
Heaven, have you ever been to it
Cause you look like you never been
You’re more like a Hell’s angel
And for you, I’d rather sin
Broken heart, Love you with a broken heart
For you I’ll jump off Noah’s Ark
Love is blind and hope is dark
But why does pain feel so good
Love is science, live for you
Die for you, and I’ll die smiling

Bruno Mars feat Lil Wayne - Grenade (remix)
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As a bonus I ran into an equally great Passion Pit remix of Bruno's hit. It's a lot more rhythmic and electronic...basically what you'd expect from @PASSIONPIT....

Bruno Mars - Grenade (Passion Pit remix)
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"I Represent tha State of Texas, Everythang is Slow"

I'll be the first to admit, if you were to meet me in person and were strictly judging me on first impression, you wouldn't be like "Man he looks like someone who would love Hip Hop." I'm fully aware that I don't fit the stereotype, but I don't really give a shit because Hip Hop has always been a type of music I've been able to relate to and draw inspiration from. It's the reason I'm writing down what I'm thinking right now and sharing with you tracks that move me and provoke me to pen my thoughts so that maybe you'll feel the same way when you hear it.

Like, for example, the track below, where @TRAEABN gave me a not so subtle reminder of how I became such an avid listener (big difference from being a fan) of Hip Hop. There's somethin' about the slow, loud, heavy, screwed up sound of Texas Hip Hop that has always appealed to me. Robert Davis has always been, in my eyes, the king of the south, producing a sound unlike anything Hip Hop had previously heard. It S.U.C.s that the best artists that have come out of Texas fell in love with the Texas Tea, which capped their career potential and influence of the Texas Hip hop movement at the knees.

Luckily, we have holdovers from the Screw era to carry the torch on like Trae tha Truth and Fat Pat on tracks like Texas. The track is off of Trae's new mixtape he dropped last Thursday titled 48 Hours, which is a compilation of mostly new freestyles from Frazier. The screwed sample, mixed with slow bass and raspy delivery of Trae, make for a picture perfect ode to the biggest, slowest Hip Hop state of the union. The track represents so fully the essence of what Texas Hip Hop should sound like, I'm feelin' like it's worthy of bein' thrown on a Best of Texas mix. You better believe this will be the first song I'm playin' once the snow melts and I'm able to subject anyone within earshot to some secondhand rap...#BeatsInTheDeck

"I'm from Texas where we still poppin' in the grey cassette and turn up the f***in deck until we causin' a wreck"

Trae feat Fat Pat - Texas

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Timbaland Thursdays: Timbaland feat Keri Hilson - You Lied, You Cheated

Another week, another unreleased joint from your producer's favorite producer @timbaland007. I watched the past day as Timbo kept dropping hints about cheating and unfaithfulness, prompting many fans to share their horror stories 140 characters at a time on Twitter. After reading all the tweets, Timbo tweeted this in response, while releasing his new Timbaland Thursdays track with @misskeribaby...

The upbeat, bubbly beat provides a stark contrast to the painful lyrics. As usual, Miss Keri shows off her vocals and adds a little attitude on the hook, speaking from the woman scorned perspective. Hard to go wrong when this duo gets together, but in all honesty it wasn't my favorite track of theirs. The beat gets a little monotonous by the end and I could have gone for a little more emotion vocally to drive home the message of the song and give a little bit of tone variety to a track that stays on the same plane throughout. Still, I'm more than delighted to get anything new from Timbaland every week, so Bloggers beggars can't be choosers, especially when giving away tracks free every week doesn't always pay the bills...

What you guys think? Anyone feel moved enough to take Timbo's advice and put it as their voicemail?

Timbaland feat Keri Hilson - You Lied, You Cheated

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"I'm Sick as Tyson in the Ring at the Colosseum With Gonorrhea"

For starters, I woulda paid a pretty penny to be at spectator at the Highline Ballroom last night in NYC, where @DaRealSlaughter struck a match and lit the house on fire. Plenty of media like the pic above from this source, as well as this one. Hearing reactions like the one below from @JoeBudden didn't make me feel any better...

Anecdotal video evidence would suggest there was some truth to what Joe said, especially with the other cameos from @realdjpremier, @bunbtrillog, @lloydbanks and @pharoahemonch...

S/O to Dallas Penn on the footage, that's a good look. To put things in perspective, Slaughterhouse to me represents a futuristic version of what Hip Hop started out as. Relatively simple, but high energy beats that are nothing more than an empty canvas to spit equally high energy lyrics that make you think and hang on to each line in an attempt to catch up to each lyricists train of thought.

Truth be told Slaughterhouse has been a ticking time bomb of lyrical talent that hardly needs a catalyst for the group to achieve Hip Hip supremacy. When I say catalyst, I mean a big break...like for example getting signed by Shady Records. Getting that type of break is like someone saying a wealthy man winning the lottery and becoming a billionaire. Dude already had stacks, bout Verne Troyer high, without winning the lottery, but now he's ungodly rich, kinda like Slaughterhouse right now. They just got the keys to the castle with Eminem and Dre now being able to give their two cents in helping their already ascending career that has been more about blazing their own new trail rather than signing their lives over to a record company and taking the path most traveled. @techn9ne has proven over time that Indie Hip Hop has a dedicated following and the more the Indie-ness is being pushed into the limelight of pop culture with stuff like this to go along with Shady investing in Slaughterhouse and Yelawolf, the less different it sounds and the more it will end up shaping the genre of Hip Hop.

Yea I guess you could say I'm excited...and you should be too when you hear tracks like the one below produced by @mrporter2012. Y'all should now know that "You get more for your money when you f*** with Mr. Porter"....#ClassicSlaughter

Slaughterhouse - Sun Doobie (prod by Mr. Porter)

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"Blackberry Molasses...One of the Things That Never Change"

Put it like this, in my starting five of the hottest Hip Hop artists out, you've got @drakkardnoir, @WIZARDCUD, @bobatl, @JColeNC, and the latest addition, @realwizkhalifa. When any of those five release a track, mixtape, freestyle, shoot even a demo track, people make a point to listen because there's an expectation of quality they've established through their recently released music. How does this tie into a new @donnisxdonnis track? Maaaaan you can't have a starting five without a sixth man! In other words, I'm looking for big things from dude coming off the bench this year and that'll all begin with his new mixtape Southern Lights.

In fact if you're like me, you've proactively sought out the chance to see what he's got in concert on the Sgt Schlepper's Who Needs Hearts Club Band Tour with @traviemccoy. Now, with Blackberry Molasses, I have another track to add to the setlist wish list as Donnis takes a turn for the soulful on his new track. With rib cage rattling bass we've come to expect from Goodie Mobb and Outkast via the ATL based Organized Noize, the slow, steady 808 bass thumps through the speakers to provide a the heavy backbone for the soul resonating from the choir delivered hook. Sidebar: Hip Hop needs a Dungeon Family comeback collectively, especially now that @theladykilla is a household name with his latest solo project and we've been waiting on that new album from Andre 3000 and Big Boi for like 8 years now (Idlewild was more of a Soundtrack).


Be sure to take notice of @the_real_crada on the beat too, he's starting to pile up a nice portfolio of work. In case you missed it, he was in on Drake & Alicia's - Fireworks, as well as B.O.B. & Lupe's - Past My Shades. In 2010, we saw Hip Hop become even more worldwide with producers like Crada (from Germany) and Stargate (from Norway) producing top notch Hip Hop tracks. Pretty cool to see the world catching on to the genre of music that has become the driving force for pop culture...

Donnis - Blackberry Molasses (prod by Crada & Organized Noize)

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WRIB: Wiz Khalifa - On My Level vs Tank - When it All Goes Down

Who Rocked It Better?

What's great about Jim Jonsin is that he doesn't necessarily look like what you'd expect from a producer who makes beats primarily for Hip Hop & R&B. From the signature top hat, to his affinity for racing cars, to his lumberjack-esque goatee, it's safe to say he's the new school Rick Rubin when it comes to passing the look test. Appearances aside, @iamjimjonsin makes some damn good beats...beats that artists covet and move charts like @liltunchi's Lollipop that caused his career to skyrocket.

On the topic of beats, there is a whole lotta behind the scenes demo-ing that the general populace is not privy to. Demo versions aside, it can be survival of the fittest when a new hot beat is offered up to two artists, like below when @TheRealTank went the R&B route, only for the beat to be flipped into a presumed album track, potential single by @realwizkhalifa & @tooshort. The beat is flexible in that it can be harmonized over and still fit, but when it comes to the better version, it's hard to vote against a slowed down, bass laden beat that caters presidential style to the methodic flows of Short Dawg and Wiz. You be the judge, give 'em both a listen and check the new video for the Hip Hop version below...

Wiz Khalifa feat Too Short - On My Level (prod by Jim Jonsin)

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Tank - When it All Goes Down (prod by Jim Jonsin)

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Sample Justice? Revenge of the Nerds - Wonderwall

Needed to mix it up a bit and throw in some Indie Hip Hop, this time spotlighting a new group Revenge of the Nerds (@r3vengeofnerds). The trio is composed of David Randall (@DRmusik), Kyle Christopher (@KChristopher1) and Ramir Vincent (@RamirV), all of whom have been on the grind songwriting, singing and producing. Their recent cover of Oasis's Wonderwall has turned a few heads and gained them some notoriety as a group. Their version takes the hook from the original song, giving it a familiar flavor until the verses flip it on a Hip Hop/R&B tip. They chose a great track to sample and all things considered I think they did a pretty solid job giving it an updated sound.

If you like their cover of Oasis's original, below is another new track by the titled Shimi-Mister, which is pretty dope in it's own right, with an R&B feel over live drum and bass...


Revenge of the Nerds - Wonderwall
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Green Bay's Own Green & Yellow...Weezy F Style

Just when you thought the Packers were uncooler than the Steelers because they don't have a cool new Hip Hop anthem to compete with Black and Yellow, in comes @liltunechi to save the day. Armed with jabs at specific Steelers players like @ike_swagginu and @tpolamalu to go with some cheesy, but at times creative one liners like "Uhh, big Gs on the helmet, Steel Curtain? What is that, velvet?". Check the lyrics below...

"Yeah, uh-huh, you know what it is
I’m a cheesehead, y’all n-ggas Cheez Whiz
Pittsburgh Steelers, thats nothin’
That Super Bowl ring, thats stuntin’

Pull up in your town, when you see me you know everything
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
I put it down, representin’ for my team
I’m in Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

Money green, yellow broad
Aaron Rodgers, MVP award
This is Green Bay, bitch we go hard
This is Packer Country, where ya green card?
Terrible towels, that shit’s borin’
We got the ball, you know we scorin’
Yeah, and thats how we rockin’ heavy metal
I’m up in this bitch wit’ more Bloods than a blood vessel
Pitt goin’ down, say hello to the devil
Just beat the Bears, now we got the Steelers on the schedule
Yeah, no love for ‘em boy, break ya hearts
We gon’ toast these n-ggas, pop tarts

Yeah, uh-huh, you know what it is
I’m a cheesehead, y’all n-ggas Cheez Whiz
Pittsburgh Steelers, thats nothin’
That Super Bowl ring, thats stuntin’

Pull up in your town, when you see me you know everything
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

I put it down, representin’ for my team
I’m in Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

Got a call from my homie, this just in
The Packers in the Super Bowl and they better win
They call him Big Ben, but he weak though
We in Dallas, but we Lambeau Leap hoe
Long hair, don’t care, Clay Matthews
We shittin’ on these fools, no bathroom
Yeah, got a pocket full of big faces
Throw it up, touchdown on Ike Taylor

Yeah, uh-huh, you know what it is
I’m a cheesehead, y’all n****s Cheez Whiz
Pittsburgh Steelers, thats nothin’
That Super Bowl ring, thats stuntin’

Pull up in your town, when you see me you know everything
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

I put it down, representin’ for my team
I’m in Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow

Uhh, big Gs on the helmet
Steel Curtain? What is that, velvet?
And if we win, I’mma throw a Super Bowl party
And blow a cigar like Vince Lombardi
I’m in Wisconsin, smoking Amsterdam
Yeah I’m from New Orleans, but I been a Packers fan
We knocked the Eagles and the Falcons and the Bears off
Now we ’bout to cut Troy Polamalu hair off

Yeah, uh-huh, you know what it is
I’m a cheesehead, y’all n-ggas Cheez Whiz (Go Pack Go)
Pittsburgh Steelers, thats nothin’
That Super Bowl ring, thats stuntin’

Pull up in your town, when you see me you know everything
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

I put it down, representin’ for my team
I’m in Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow
Green and Yellow, Green and Yellow

Uh, go Pack go!
Uh, go Pack go!
Uh, we yellin’ go Pack go!
Yeah, like I said, this ain’t a diss song
I just love my team, that’s the team with them big Gs on the helmet
You know what it is, Oh yeah, Young Mulah baby"

Adding to the pageantry of it all was his appearance of ESPN's First Take yesterday, when he was grilled about why he's a Packers fan and whether or not it was a diss track.

It'll be fun to see if Wiz and Snoop take up Weezy on his offer to have the loser cut off their hair. First it was Polamalu, then the Claymaker, now even the celebs are getting in on the hair mania. Another noteworthy jab was @realskipbayless's shot at @realWizKhalifa, saying he's not in the same league as Lil Wayne. While that's mostly true because Weezy F has years of longevity to back it up, saying Wiz is the hottest rapper out right now is not a stretch at all. Still, it'd be stupid to get put off by the opinion of someone who knows absolutely nothing about Hip Hop.

No cheerleaders at the game, who cares, at least we have two noteworthy Hip Hop team anthems to generate some buzz. Regardless of the outcome, Hip Hop has taken one more step closer to being accepted by the mainstream. Still are years away from any Hip Hop act being the Halftime show....#Someday...

Lil Wayne - Green and Yellow (remix)
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James Blake - "I Don't Know About My Lovin' Anymore"

When you start talking about the most anticipated Indie albums of 2011, James Blake's self-titled debut, due out next Tuesday, is at, or near, the top of the list.

The 21 year old from London has been picking up steam for a while now, first as a composer, and more recently as a solo-artist. I had heard his remixes previously, but it wasn't until I heard his cover of Feist's, Limit to Your Love, that I was truly blown away.

James Blake - Limit to Your Love
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In late September, Limit to your Love was named "the hottest record in the world" by famed BBC radio personality @zanelowe, and it has since become a mainstay on radio playlists throughout Europe.

The Second single is even better people! You can see footage below of @jamesblake performing the song live in studio. What can I say? This song begs to be played over and over again.

I haven't been this excited about an artist in some time, and if you check the blogosphere, you can see I'm not alone. Listed among his current tour dates is a stop in Austin for SXSW. I'll be there ready and waiting to hear these songs in person...

James Blake - Wilhelm Scream
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Pre-Order his album on iTunes or Amazon