Videos of the Week November 14th

Interesting mix of Hip Hop and EDM for this week's top 5. Shady Records made a big splash with their lengthy cypher that is being used to create momentum toward the new Shady XV Compilation. Along the same lines of stand out performances, anybody who had any doubt in Logic making it big time needs to watch his performance on Fallon. The kid can rock a mic, that much I know.

On the EDM front, Ellie & Calvin delivered an emotional video for their latest single Outside. On the other end of the wild spectrum we have Steve Aoki's new one. The video is so incredibly Will i am it's not even funny. The futuristic tech with plenty of crazy futuristic CGI mixed in. And to top it all off, how about a slice of silly thanks to Jimmy Fallon and Channing Tatum. I might as well carve out a permanent spot on the weekly top 5 for something related to the Tonight Show as it continues to set the bar higher and higher for late night television...#LateNightFallon
Calvin Harris feat Ellie Goulding - Outside (Video)

Shady CXVPHER

Steve Aoki feat Will i Am - Born to Get Wild (Video)

Jimmy Fallon & Channing Tatum Play Box of Lies

Logic Performs I'm Gone on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Photo Credit: YouTube

Videos of the Week November 16th

This week comes in a a little Hip Hop heavy with @Slaughterhouse, @Ludacris, @RealWizKhalifa and @S_C_ coming in with new videos. Along with that is a developing EDM favorite with @CAZZETTE's latest single Beam Me Up. I said it when I first posted the track, but Slaughterhouse's track Goodbye is a really moving track if you give the stories a listen. I know you wouldn't normally think of the group as serious or intensely sensitive group, but if you listen close and take a minute to get into their stories, you'll be pleasantly surprised...#RapGeniusAssist

Slaughterhouse - Goodbye (Video)

Ludacris ft. Usher & David Guetta – Rest of My Life (Video)

Wiz Khalifa feat The Weeknd - Remember Me (Video)

Cazzette - Beam Me Up (Video)

Jay-Z Performing Dead Presidents & Can I Live?

"So Can You Rescue Me, From Me?"

The last time I spoke about @slaughterhouse, I explained why I wasn't a big fan of a track they did with @SkylarGrey and @AlexDaKid. Maybe I just picked the wrong track featuring the duo because they completely redeemed themselves on Rescue Me. Their last collaboration failed in my eyes because it tried to hard to be a radio friendly track, which isn't usually where Slaughterhouse is at their best.

I feel like they did a better job of walking the radio friendly, but still lyrically edgy line on the track below. It's hard to go wrong with an Alex da Kid beat or a Skylar Grey hook, but the track below is proof that all superstar collaborations aren't executed equally. It's tracks like this and Goodbye that really make me appreciate that Slaughterhouse signed with Shady Records. In other words, prior to signing, we wouldn't have been privy to songs like Rescue Me...#Grateful

Slaughterhouse feat Skylar Grey - Rescue Me (prod by Alex da KiD)
|iTunes

"In Our, House We Spit Like Sig Sauers"

Now that the public have had a couple weeks to take in @slaughterhouse's new Shady Records debut Welcome to: Our House, it's safe to say the consensus had the album rated between three and four stars out of five. From XXL to Rolling Stone, it's pretty safe that there was an overall positive vibe surrounding the album.

I'm mostly in agreement with their reviews, but before I listened to the track below, I had really really high expectations. Anything @skylargrey or @alexdakid have touched the past year has been white hot and on top of that you're going to put Slaughterhouse and @eminem rhyming over it? Might as well call it the best track of all time, right?

Not so fast (#CorsoStyle)! Maybe it's a style clash, but the lyrics heavy track kinda dragged on, even with Skylar's help on the hook. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of greatness that I'll probably end up writing about in the near future, but this isn't the best of what they had to offer. Just giving you a heads up so you can hold your expectations in check prior to listening...#StillADopeAlbum

Slaughterhouse feat Eminem & Skylar Grey - Our House (prod by Alex Da Kid)
|iTunes

Videos of the Week August 30th

I have an idea, let's cap off @deadmau5 week with an epic MMA video featuring two giant sized steel robots. Yea in all seriousness though, it was pretty cool what he and Gerard of My Chemical pulled off. Is it the most epic EDM video ever? It's up for debate at least.

Other than the showstopper of the week, it seems like everyone who is trying to build up hype for a new album let loose with a new video this week. I'm still really pumped for @slaugherhouse's new album, as well as @onerepublic's coming out this fall. I'm still a little weirded out by the whole channeling of Bone Thugs by @thegame and friends. Only thing better than the original could be the remix with all members of Bone Thugs chipping in...#InAPerfectWorld

Stay dry this weekend...#GoodLuckWithThat

deadmau5 feat Gerard Way - Professional Griefers (Video)

One Republic - Feel Again (Video)

Slaughterhouse feat Swizz Beatz - Throw it Away (Video)

Nas - Bye Babe (Video)

Game feat Chris Brown, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa & Lil Wayne - Celebration (BTS)

"Those Lips and Those Child Bearing Hips"

Even thought I only half like it, I see what @slaughterhouse is doing with these single choices. With Welcome To: Our House less than a week away from being released, they decided to put out to singles that are complete polar opposites.

The first single Goodbye was an absolute slam dunk and got the contemporary crowd to buy in on their new music. Now, less than a week later we get the @ProducerTMinus aided Throw That, which will resonate with the @eminem crowd. I say that because it's vulgar, it's quirky, it's basically dirty Hip Pop. I've never been a huge fan of Em's dirty singalongs, so I'm not a huge fan of the track below.

This isn't going to prevent me from expecting the world of Slaughterhouse's new album, though. If you haven't looked already, check out the production credits...#Stacked


Slaughterhouse feat Eminem - Throw That (prod by T-Minus)
|iTunes

"Till Next Time, My Friend, Farewell, Goodbye"

When @slaughterhouse signed with Shady records, I was excited for a lot of reasons. Many of the reasons had to do with a major label finally throwing some money behind them (long overdue!). Monetary investment aside, I was cautiously optimistic that they would be able to grow their music and expand from being known solely as lyricists. I say cautiously because with a label's investment usually comes radio friendly singles, which have been hit or miss with their creative, but at times abrasive one liners.

Spoken from someone who really enjoys their non-radio tracks chalked fully of swagger laden one liners, I'm really glad they finally did a lyrically thoughtful track. With they help of @boi1da, they managed to produce a new single that will strike a chord with a lot of people. On Goodbye three fourths of Slaughter take to the mic to share deeply personal stories surrounding personal loss. From losing an uncle/mentor, grandma or unborn child, the topic of loss is something everyone experiences at some point of life and I was impressed that they took to mic to tell their stories.

Welcome To: Our House drops in ten days on Aug 18th. I'm expecting a front to back solid effort based on what I've heard so far...#ForecastingAClassic

Slaughterhouse - Goodbye (prod by Boi-1da)
|iTunes

Slaughterhouse Sees Dead People

You wanna talk about a match made in heaven...mixing the MVP of the MPC, @araabMUZIK, with @slaugherhouse. There aren't too many producers who can appropriately capture the schizophrenic temperament like araabMUZIK was able to on the track below. Given, it's an unfinished mixtape track that is supposed to land on the upcoming On the House mixtape put together by @DJDRAMA. Word has it the mixtape was supposed to drop yesterday, so we'll see if it surfaces before their big album release on August 28th.

If you're on the fence about giving the track below a listen I'll say this. Slaughterhouse is much more in their element on a track like See Dead People. It's clearly not positioned to be a single, instead it's more of a freestyle, which caters to all of their skills sets. The wordplay, creativity and storytelling are all at heightened levels and there isn't anything off limits including the statue of the late Joe Paterno (fast forward to the 2:48 mark for the reference). Plenty of interesting lyrical tidbits, so much so that I could probably write the whole post on quoteables ("My psychotic is sick, recite the bible on the toilet because my God I'm the s**t").

We'll see if their Shady Records debut lives up to the hype when it drops at the end of the month. Here's to hoping there's more of that off top like below...#WelcomeToOurHouse

Slaughterhouse - See Dead People (prod by araabmuzik)

Videos of the Week June 22nd

Whole lot of Hip Hop this week with some of my favorite rappers on set for videos and trailers. As a casual observer, it sounds like the Detox talk is heating up in the Hip Hop community with seemingly everyone from 50 cent to @kendricklamar (below) commenting on the mythical album. Feel free to fast forward to the 3:20 mark on the @justinbieber video to hear him getting after a few classics from Pac and Biggie. Everyone hates on Biebs rapping, but dude can handle his own. I mean he's not gonna battle rap @eminem anytime soon, but for a kid from the burbs, he isn't bad.

Anybody interested in seeing Wiz and Snoops new movie? (crickets?) We'll see, but I'll always favor them on the mic. Catch me at the @DonaldGlover show tonight in Philly if you're in attendance...#HollerAtchaBoy

Slaughterhouse feat Cee-Lo - My Life (Video)

Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa – Mac & Devin Go To High School (Trailer)

Justin Bieber Rapping 2pac and Biggie on the Angie Martinez Show

Donnis - Hello Kitty (Video)

Kendrick Lamar speaks on Detox and his debut album

"Jets Fly Private, S5 Hybrid, Baby Test Drive My Whip"

A couple weeks ago @SLAUGHTERHOUSE debuted their newest single My Life to mixed reviews. After listening to it for a few weeks, it's become clearer to me that the group as a whole just isn't meant for the radio. The unfortunate consequence of not always translating to radio is that it usually affects the bottom line of record sales, but I want make sure and clarify my opinion that not being meant for top 40 radio isn't a slight at all to their overall talent. In fact, I probably have more respect for their music because it has the depth that generally repeatable, bubble gum pop tracks will always lack.

The main beef I have with Slaughterhouse's choice of singles is that their verses aren't as substantial. I say that because they're known for witty, sometimes edgy lyrics and that gets lost when shooting for middle of the road content meant for the radio. Using the song below as an example, it was tough finding a witty quoteable for the title of the post, which is rare for any of their songs. Still, having @ceelogreen on the track gives it a fighting chance for top 40 success. Radio worthiness aside, they are releasing a video for My Life in the coming weeks and earlier this week @joebudden gave a behind a behind the scenes interview with MTV to describe the video concept...

Their new album, Welcome to: Our House is due out in about three weeks on June 12th. Unlike most albums I'll be immediately sifting through the non-singles to find my favorite track. Can't wait to hear the end product and influence that their new record company will have on their overall sound...#ShadyRecords

Slaughterhouse feat Cee-Lo - My Life (prod by StreetRunner and Sarom)
|iTunes

Videos of the Week April 27th

Stacked week for videos featuring three tracks I like quite a bit with Starships, Hammer Dance and Mind Your Manners. Is it me or is @Nas about to make a full fledged comeback this year? First it was the song produced by Heavy D (below), now it's the NFL draft on ESPN and a second single all this week. Some may want to hate saying he's old and his time has passed, but in my eyes there's always room for OG's like Nas in Hip Hop. Can't disrespect someone who has been around for so long and been through the things he has...#Classic

Nicki Minaj - Starships (Video)

Chiddy Band - Mind Your Manners (Video)

Nas - The Don (Video)

B.O.B. - Strange Clouds Album Promo

Slaughterhouse - Hammer Dance (Video)

Videos of the Week March 23

Some high profile videos flew across the radar this week with @lanadelrey's Blue Jeans video leading the way. By far, the most entertaining watch for me this week was hearing @royceda59 recount @SLAUGHTERHOUSE's past week on tour. Just the SXSW story alone was worth the watch because you rarely hear an artist openly admit that they were worried another legendary artist was going to upstage them. That's gotta be a baaad feeling when you're headlining, about to go on stage, and @kanyewest plays two or three tracks that ignite the crows and make you go SON OF A BITCH, HOW ARE WE GONNA TOP THIS?? It's that type of down to earth real talk that makes me respect the hell out of them individual artists and as a group. Now if they could only hit Philly on a night besides this Tuesday, I'd really be pumped...#WishfulThinking

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans (Video)

Slaughterhouse Vlog Episode 2

Game feat Kendrick Lamar - The City (Video)

OnCue - Kinda Late (Video)(prod by Just Blaze)

Trey Songz - Sex Ain't Better Than Love (Video)

"Cause All of Us Would Be Angels for Pujol's Bread"

What a pleasant surprise today coming home to @funkmasterflex leaking @darealslaughter's new single Hammer Dance. Yep you guessed it, it's play on words paying homage to @mchammer's dance, while keeping it gangsta referring to the firearm component. The track will server as the lead single off their upcoming @shadyrecords debut Welcome to: Our House, due out May 15th.

The key takeaway here is the deadly combination of @araabmuzik producing a beat for four of the fiercest lyricists on the planet. His beats have been known to be a grimy as sink mildew and when matched with Slaughterhouse, it's a wrap. Also interesting was @royceda59 chipping in the hook instead of a verse. I say that because I would have loved to hear a full 16 from him on this beat, but what can you do, it's only one track on the album.

All in all, a rock solid start to what should be one of the my most anticipated releases this year...#ShadyAftermath

Slaughterhouse - Hammer Dance (prod by araabMUZIK)

|iTunes

Videos of the Week

Sticking with the New Years theme since the @ZooeyDeschanel and @hitrecordjoe video below went viral. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly makes Zooey Deschanel so incredibly unique as an actress. All I know it helps that she's multi-talented (singing/acting), she's got those irresistibly wide eyes and a quirky, but witty sense of humor. Put her in a movie or show and I'll immediately be interested...#JustSayin

Other than that, a whole lot of @tip and incognito @drake and @kanyewest videos to report on. Pretty pumped to hear that @rihanna song that Kanye was hinting at while DJ-ing in England. Can't wait for that new Slaughterhouse album too, lots to look forward to in 2012...#LastDayOfTheYear

Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Sing What Are You Doing New Years Eve?


Joe Budden and Joell Ortiz Talk New Slaughterhouse Album


Drake Sings Karaoke with a Fan at the Saddle Ranch on Sunset Blvd


Kanye DJs in London Debuts Rihanna G.O.O.D. Music Unreleased Track


T.I. Speaks on Working with Dr. Dre

Trailer for T.I.'s New Mixtape

Videos of the Week

It's about time @avicii did a video for Levels. It might be the strangest video I've seen since @lmfao's banana hammock infested Sexy and I Know It video. Interesting seeing @drake's three part homecoming series and hearing him reflect on a lot of issue including his recent collabo with Rihanna. I'm still loving every bit of Shady 2.0 too. They're taking over for 2012...#BelieDat...

Avicii - Levels (Video)


Trey Songz feat Fabolous - What I Be On (Video)


Drake The Homecoming (Part 1)


Drake The Homecoming (Part 2)


Drake The Homecoming (Part 3)


The Shady 2.0 Boys (Yelawolf, Slaughterhouse & Eminem) Live


Kanye & Jay-Z Perform Niggas in Paris at Victoria Secret Show


Ludacris feat Wacka Flocka - Rich & Flexin (Video)

"I Had Money When the DVD Was a VCR"

Cyphers and remixes like what you will see experience are a big reason why Shady Records 2.0 is about to become a juggernaut. I must have fallen asleep the whole month of October when I missed posting Shady Records' ridiculous 9 minute cypher (brought to you in part by @Sprite, @bet and hosted by @realdjpremier). If I were you, I would open up another window with Control N (another tab wouldn't make sense here, trust me) and follow the lightning fast lyrics word for word (brought to you by Rap Genius).

That cypher is awesome on so many levels because every one of the artists bring a unique delivery, yet all are armed with the same next level lyrical creativity. It epitomizes the reason why I've always been a huge fan of every Slaughterhouse rapper, Yelawolf and Eminem. They use words as weapons within their music and find ways to weave in pop culture references that make you think. I'm not sure whether people don't care or just plain can't keep up with the intellect they deliver on tracks, but if you take the time to read what they're actually saying, it's usually entertaining on a nerdy-funny level. Case in point @joebudden's line:

"You Super Mario thugs is in the wrong room
Gotta figure here, you won't get bigger if you on shrooms"

I said in a post last week that I wasn't a big fan of @Yelawolf's lead single Hard White in the Club, off his upcoming album Radioactive. That all changes when you mix in @Tip and @DaRealSlaughter and subtract @LILJON background yelling. Hard to decide whether I like the cypher or remix better, it's more like which high class flavor you're feeling, Eminem or T.I...#CantGoWrong

Yelawolf feat T.I. & Slaughterhouse - Hard White in the Club (Remix)

|Radioactive

"On Twitter We Block Oprah and Deepak Chopra"

It's been a while since any new material from @DaRealSlaughter leaked to the masses, so you can imagine how excited I was to unwrap this heat nugget tonight. I'm still patiently waiting for their first official Shady records release, but hopefully the new material is only the beginning of what's to come. Pretty hard to compete with @JoellOrtiz, @TheRealCrookedI, @JoeBudden and @therealroyce59 over a grimy Biggie Smalls sample cooked up by The Klassics.

There are a lot of combinations I'm looking forward to hearing in the near future and at the top of list I'd put @Yelawolf gettomg on a Slaughter track. Or just for fun, how about an all white rappers track with Yelawolf, Mac Miller, Machine Gun Kelly, Eminem and Asher Roth? Hard to imagine that would ever happen, but what the hell, might as well dream right? Even if it never happens, I'll still continue to enjoy the well crafted wittiness that the fearsome foursome always brings when they combine forces...#Slaughterhouse

Slaughterhouse - The Illest (prod by The Klassis)

"So paid, Rappers is Waitin’ on Trades and They All Get Knicked Like Melo"

Wow, talk about a good look and lights out collab. @ludacris + @S1AUGHTERHOUSE over a @mrporter2012 beat is a formula for destruction. Whoever decided to combine all the above elements on one track clearly wanted to get some last second momentum together for the release of Fast Five (due out this Fri). To be fair, in my mind, nobody is ever gonna touch Pov City Anthem by Cadillac Tah on the original Fast and the Furious soundtrack and if you're scratchin' your head wonderin' WTF?, then you clearly haven't been hanging around me. I wanted that instrumental as a ringtone before custom ringtones were even invented...#DreamBig

Buyer beware though, the soundtrack is nothing like the fierce track below. If possible I'd go on iTunes and start petitioning this to be sold as a single. If only you could just cop it and be done with it, but the powers that be are calling this track "Album Only" on iTunes, like I wanna fast forward through twelve tracks to get to this heat rock...#OnSomeBS

Feel free to appreciate it for what is it and don't feel stupid rewinding @therealcrookedi's verse either. Y'all ever heard of a trabalengua? Try sayin' the three bars below three times fast...#DoubtIT

"I’m a syllable, Hannibal, killer cannibal
With a mechanical manual to deliver the flammable ammo
Lyrical animal off the top"

I'll give it to you Universal, y'all almost made me consider watching the movie after hearin' this track. Daps & lbs are in order, feel free to indulge in a slice of lyrical Hip Hop delight...

Ludacris ft Slaughterhouse & Claret Jai - Furiously Dangerous (prod by Mr. Porter)

|Download

Bonus: Did anybody else see the Peter Griffin take on Mr. Washee Washee Street Fighter Style last Sunday? That jumbled together gibberish he yelled when doin' the helicopter kick had me rollin' man, that was my childhood. I used to ride and die with Dhalisim...#LongAppendagesWin

Shady Records 2.0

Consider this the first of many great collaborations between @EMINEM and new hires, @S1AUGHTERHOUSE & @yelawolf. Any questions about whether or not Em & the lyrical wordsmiths of Slaughter would mesh have been long answered on previous tracks like the Recovery bonus track Session One and the Microphone (Remix). Honestly, it's a no brainer chemistry wise since all five lyricists consistently try to raise the bar lyrically on every verse with lines that make witty sound like an underwhelming description.

That leaves one question, will Catfish Billy's unique delivery and zoned out content blend? On the first effort below, he does stand out style wise as different from everyone else on the track, which doesn't help the continuity of the track, but I'm far from a point where I feel comfortable passing judgement. All I can say it I'm excited as hell that this track is the starting point and it's only gonna get better from here on out.

Couple Quoteables:

Royce (@therealroyce59)

"Quick devour polish it, politics, by the way I’m higher than the Eiffel tower tip
I like writing but I will stick this pencil in your ass before I write ya shit"

Joell (@joellortiz)

"Nickel, I just picked up a Phantom, look how it Rolls, Royce!
Even if I want to quit, I ain’t got no choice
Verses keep coming, I should invoice my own voice"

Budden (@joebudden)

"My men think in sync, roll with the best crew
Move to the beat of the same drum without Lex Luger"

"Need results from my actions, mistakes I’ll exonerate
I’m Martin King staring at a picture of Obama’s face"

Crook (@therealcrookedi)

"Tell me when and I’m there
Not only heir to the throne, but my chair is suspended in air
Stay fly like a limited fare
You got us pegged wrong, my circle don’t fit in with squares"

YelaWolf (@yelawolf)

"In an old ’89, no piece if you pay me
Gimme peace sign on my grill, no Mercedes
I’m getting paid for these shows that I throw lately
Same shows a year ago woulda broken most of you crazies"

Eminem Slaughterhouse & Yelawolf - 2.0 Boys

|Download

Photo Credit: XXL

"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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