"If I Get Too High, Sugar, I Might Never Come Down"

If you haven't caught onto the buzz of Anderson .Paak, you'd better get on that soon because the bandwagon is about to hit capacity. Everyone started noticing him on the Compton Soundtrack, but now that people have given a few listens this debut album Malibu, it's only a matter of time before they get hooked on his jazzy Hip Hop style. To give you an idea what all that sounds like live, check out his recent performance of his latest single Come Down on Fallon...

Performing Hip Hop live and keeping the crowd's attention is no easy task. But when you start a performance off with drum solo and dramatic intro, people get interested. Come Down is an undeniably funky track and the song got even greater when TIP dropped a verse on the track. Such a hype all around performance! Anderson even finished the track on the drums, which meant he earned every bit of that standing ovation he received. I'm not sure about y'all, but I'm going to make it a priority to check this dude out on tour...#ComeDown

Anderson .Paak feat T.I. & The Free Nationals - Come Down (prod by Hi-Tek)

T.I. and Dr. Dre Got Together on a Dope Track

While Hip Hop continues to search for the next wave of impactful rappers, there are a few OGs who continue to hold down the entire game like they have for decades. Needless to say, when a new T.I. track produced by Dr. Dre that samples Aaliyah comes across the radar, I'm all ears. Dope is one of those Cali cruise anthems that Dr. Dre pioneered over two decades ago. It's a mix of a gentle strings, high pitched synths and a whole lot of chill. To his credit, T.I. seemed completely at home over the ever so chill beat, while Marsha Ambrosius did her best to augment the Aaliyah sample on the hook. It's one of the few Hip Hop singles that have piqued my excitement over the past year, which should be telling in and of itself...#Dope

T.I. feat Marsha Ambrosius - Dope (prod by Dr Dre)

"I'ma Keep Runnin' and Runnin', I'ma Champion"

There's always a place for meaningful, emotional music in this hood of the internet. No matter if you're a household name or an up and comer, if you pour your soul into your music, I'll leave the light on for you. It's their first time being featured on this blog, but you might remember Moosh & Twist from previous favorites like How We Do or All That I Know with Hoodie Allen. Reppin' Philly to the fullest, they remind me a lot of Chiddy Bang on the mic. Just two really talented lyricists that have a lot of chemistry together.

Speaking of chemistry, their new single Champion is about all you need to hear to understand what I mean. In the words of my former strength coach, "if this doesn't get your pee hot, you've got something wrong." Leaning on a sample from T.I. and Justin Timberlake's Dead and Gone, there's a steady mainline of inspiration that flows throughout the entire track. It has that "can't be stopped" type of vibe, which would fit nicely on an intense cardio playlist if you're looking for a new addition. If you liked their Living Out Loud debut a few years back, this should conjure up plenty excitement for a 2016 follow up...#Champion

Dr. Dre Leaks a Compton Leftover, Back To Business

I'm not one to post streaming radio versions of tracks, but then again, Dr. Dre doesn't release new music very often. Evidently the track below found itself on the chopping block when the final track list for the Compton album was solidified. Back to Business is about as a good of an example of how Dr. Dre wakes up and pisses excellence. Saying that the track wasn't in the top sixteen tracks of any album is laughable. Featuring a slow bangin' beat, solid verses from all hands on deck (including the Good Doctor) and a fine hook from Victoria Monet, there's a lot to like. Join me in hoping that a non-tagged version finds its way onto our electronic devices in the near future...#BackToBusiness

Dr. Dre feat T.I., Justus, Victoria Monet, and Sly Piper - Back To Business

T.I. Goes Hard on New Track From Get Hard

It's been a while since I've posted a T.I. track that was this catchy. From the start, I Go Hard is shot out of a cannon with Kat delivering a quality hook over a rolling beat. The nonchalance that Tip is able to flow over the verses is why he's still considered the King of the South.

Whether or not this leads the way to success for Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell's upcoming movie Get Hard, is another story. I still haven't really seen a Kevin Hart movie that is memorable, but the 32% Rotten Tomatoes score doesn't inspire confidence. It is telling that 65% of moviegoers said they liked it, so take the serious critics with a grain of salt. I know you've seen commercials for the movie, but below is the full length tailer if you're still considering seeing it...#GetHard

T.I. feat Kat - I Go Hard

Videos of the Week September 5th

Good mix of humor, entertainment and just plain awesome vocals in this week's top five. The list includes a trailer from a festival I still have on my bucket list (EDC), an inspirational video for those who are finding themselves in the fight with cancer (Remission), some fantasy football humor courtesy of Jimmy Fallon, visuals from one of the better Hip Hop EDM collabos in recent memory (That Girl) and last, but certainly not least, an incredible vocal performance by none other than Sam Smith. I know Fast Car will never be able to be done better than Tracy Chapman, but it's hard to touch Sam's version. I've got a date to see Sammy S live in less than a month and you better believe I'm counting down the days...#FastCar
"Under the Electric Sky" Electric Daisy Carnival Trailer

Sam Smith Covering Tracy Chapman's Fast Car

Stafford Brothers feat T.I. & Eva Simons - This Girl (Video)

Lupe Fiasco feat Jennifer Hudson & Common - Remission (Video)

Jimmy Fallon Outlines the Pros and Cons of Playing Fantasy Football

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Home of the Brave and Free, Free Just to Muder Me"

We may never know whether T.I. was planning on releasing his New National Anthem this week or whether the Michael Brown incident expedited the release. Whatever the case, it's a lyrically armed track that is pointed straight at guns and their impact on American society. It's an interesting track in that the Skylar Grey hook is meant for radio, but T.I.'s verses and ad-libs are no-holds barred. The bouncy beat makes for a fun listen, but the beat makes it tough to hear the underlying message he's trying to deliver, which is frustrating at times.

The track is set to surface on T.I.'s upcoming album Paperwork, which he's compared to Outkast's Aquemini and Jay Z's The Blueprint. That's a tall order, but New National Anthem is a definitely a step in the right direction. Again, let's all hope this renewed attention of gun violence in American leads to something productive for us all so that we don't keep seeing the same situation repeat itself...#NewNationalAnthem

T.I. feat Skylar Grey - New National Anthem

Videos of the Week August 8th

If you haven't seen Guardians of the Galaxy, you need to for a lot of reasons. I'm not a huge comic book guy, but I thoroughly appreciated the mix of humor and action, largely provided by Chris Pratt in the movie. Little did we all know he could also flow, dude killed that Forgot About Dre cover!

It's good to see Wu-Tang back together again and making new music. I'm glad they picked the Daily Show to let loose some new music. I'm also glad that Electric Zoo is taking on the Molly movement head on with their promo video. The whole "Be Present" is a little preachy, but I don't care if they straight up threatened kids, the deaths at festivals needs to stop. What doesn't need to stop is the antagonistic banter between T.I. and Jimmy Fallon. Slow down the video, Jimmy looks legitimately threatened. Rounding out the top five is a new Asher Roth cut that deserves extra love for the Flohicans reference...#Flohicans
Chris Pratt Covering Eminem's Forgot About Dre Verse

Electric Zoo 2014 Promo

Wu Tang Reunite and Perform on The Daily Show

Asher Roth feat Major Myjah - Last of the Flohicans (Video)

Will Arnett Starts a Beef Between T.I. and Jimmy Fallon

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Do It One More Time For This Girl"

No matter how successful their music ends up being, I'm always going to be tuned into the Stafford Brothers' music. They were the first EDM group signed to a Hip Hop label and they did so during a time when my tastes in music were waffling between the two genres. Sadly, there isn't much to be excited about in Hip Hop anymore, but that's also why collaborations like the one below are particularly interesting to me.

Is This Girl as catchy and addictive as Hello? Nope. Does T.I. sound strange on an EDM track? Yep. Is the track worth listening to? Yep, despite it sounding a bit forced, Eva Simons brought her A game game, which helped a lot. No word yet on whether this is a random single or a step toward a debut album, but I have high hopes for the Aussies to make a splash if/when that ever does happen...#ThisGirl

Stafford Brothers feat Eva Simmons & T.I. - This Girl

Castle Walls Gets the Dubstep Treatment

T.I.'s Castle Walls was hands down my favorite track off his No Mercy album. The beat by Alex Da Kid, the hook by Christina and T.I.'s thoughtful verses all combined to make one hell of a track. Check it below for a refresher...

Fast forward three years later and we now have a ethereal dubstep mix of the original from Collin McLoughlin and Skrux. It proceeds at a slow, measured pace, but Christina's melancholy sample resonates over the heavy electronics. T.I. is nowhere to be found in this mix, but I'll concede that it would have been a challenge to seamlessly weave a Hip Hop verse into the instrumental driven remix. Cool out to this one y'all...#CastleWalls

T.I. feat Christina Aguilera - Castle Walls (Colin McLoughlin & Skrux Remix)

Videos of the Week May 24th

Decent mix of funny, entertaining and inspirational this week with The Lonely Island setting the humor bar high this week with Diaper Money. On the flip side, I got goosebumps watching third grader Asean Johnson of Chicago blast Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel for threatening to close his school. The little dude might just be the rose that grew from concrete in a city that has become synonymous with Irag.

Sandwiched in between are some entertaining videos from a few usual suspects like Fat Joe, T.I. and Maroon 5. Although it was tempting to post all clips of Kanye's new videos being projected onto walls, I'm going to refrain from that business. Enjoy your long weekend y'all, see some of you at the Indy 500...#MemorialDay

The Lonely Island - Diaper Money (Video)

Fat Joe feat Wiz Khalifa & Teyana Taylor - Ballin' (Video)

T.I. feat Cee-lo - Hello (Video)

Maroon 5 - Love Somebody (Video)

Third Grader Asean Johnson Argues for Chicago Mayor to Not Close His School

Videos of the Week May 10th

Run of the mill offering this week with a lot of Hip Hop and R&B. Evidently Lana Del Rey has become the icon for The Great Gatsby, which is fitting given her throwback style. Oh and this just in, Mariah Carey is still smokin' hot. Also, is it just me or are lyric videos now the new thing? I don't mean only lyrics as the video, I meant interaction style lyrics embedded into real videos like on T.I.'s Hello? Maybe it's the interaction designer in me, but I appreciate it...#UXMakesTheWorldGoRound

Mariah Carey feat Miguel - #Beautiful (Video)

T.I. feat Cee-Lo - Hello (Video)

Lana Del Rey - Young and Beautiful (Video)

DJ Felli Fel feat Ne-Yo, Tyga, Wiz Khalifa - Reason to Hate (BTS)

The Wanted - Walks Like Rihanna (Video)

Videos of the Week April 26th

Alright now that making promo videos for festivals is becoming "the cool thing to do", it's starting to wear on me. Not only are these awesome festivals generally nowhere near me, now I get to see the highlights and promos for them...awesome! The newest one being the Hard Summer concert taking place in LA August 3rd-4th. The lineup looks to be pretty killer.

Aside from that, there are two entertaining behind the scenes videos below to go with David Guetta and T.I.'s new visual creations. Quick sidebar, I'll be in Paris the next ten days, so apologies if seems like I've all the sudden developed a new music blind spot. I'll do what I can to keep up with the daily routine, don't you worry...#NoDaysOff
Hard Summer Concert in LA Trailer

David Guetta feat Ne-Yo & Akon - Play Hard (Video)

T.I., B.o.B, Kendrick Lamar - Memories Back Then (Video)

Stafford Brothers feat Lil Wayne & Christina Milian - Hello (BTS)

J Cole feat Miguel - Power Trip (BTS)

"I Think of All the Madness in My Head"

Getting a chance to singe the hook on a @tip track featuring @kendricklamar and @bobatl has to be one of the best opportunities to get your name out there. I mention that because @KrisStephens made a really good decision when she decided to drop out of school to pursue a music career because now she's getting a chance to be in big tracks with Hip Hop stars. Taking it a step further, she managed to absolutely steal the show with her angelic vocals on the hook of the track below. Below is a quick BTS cut of the soon to be released video for Memories Back Then off T.I.'s upcoming Hustle Gang compilation...

I'm not sure about y'all, but I for one will be on the look out for anything featuring Kris Stephens in the upcoming year. Here's to hoping she gets together a debut album in 2013 thanks in large part to her upcoming debut single #SpreadMyWings

T.I. feat B.O.B. Kendrick Lamar & Kris Stephens - Memories Back Then

Videos of the Week March 1st

First off, the whole Harlem Shake revolution has officially jumped the shark. Near the end here, we've seen some fun ones like the Miami Heat one below, but nobody can top the YouTube Easter Egg Harlem Shake. Copycat dance crazy aside, the video below by @KeeganMKey and @JordanPeele of @KeyAndPeele wins for this week's most entertaining video. When it comes to fresstyling outlandish ideas, it doesn't get any better chemistry wise than the Comedy Central duo. For all the Hip Hop heads who were salivating over the many behind the scenes shots, the video finally arrives this week. The track is literally at the basement floor of what I'm able to tolerate when it comes to dumbed down, flashy, ignorant trap muzik, but between this and Ice Cream Paint Job I simply can't turn it off when it comes on...#TrapMuzik

Key & Peele: Ballbusters (Dunk Contest) (Video)

Harlem Shake - Miami Heat Edition (Video)

Trinidad James feat T.I. Young Jeezy & 2 Chainz - All Gold Everything (Remix)(Video)

Cee-Lo Green feat Lauriana Mae - Only You (Video)

Asher Roth - Turnip the Beet (Video)

Videos of the Week February 8th

Seems like the thing to do these days is document the wild wild west of the internet a decade ago. First Pirate Bay go the documentary treatment, now Napster is up with Downloaded, which will premiere at SXSW. It'll be interesting in about ten to twenty years when the internet generation grows up and looks back in admiration at the way they were able to make the rules by being more forward thinking when it comes to technology.

In other news, @tip loves gardening, @BrunoMars loves the 80s, @thecataracs still love to party and @Snoop_Lion continues to do his reggae thing...#TGIF

Napster Documentary Trailer

Snoop Lion feat Major Lazer - Here Comes the King (Video)

Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man (Video)

Gardening with Rapper T.I.

Cataracs feat Blu - Alcohol (Video)

Videos of the Week January 4th

Between @kanyewest's Margiela Star Wars Hoth outfit to @asvpxrocky's strange black and white video for LongLiveA$AP, it was an odd week in videos. I was most entertained by @RealWizKhalifa's take on what it took to get where he's at right now musically. He really is a testament to hard work paying off because dude put out many many mixtapes worth of free stuff before getting his big break, so I've always had a lot of respect for his grind. Oh any it doesn't matter when or how, it's always risky business #InDaA...

Big Boi feat T.I. & Ludacris - In Da A (Video)

Kanye Performs Heartless @ Revel in Atlantic City

Kanye Performs Diamons Remix @ Revel in Atlantic City

Wiz Khalifa On MTV's This is How I Made It

A$Ap Rocky - LongLiveA$AP (Video)

"Boi Check the Resume, It's Risky Business in the A"

Sir Lucious Left Foot is back again with a hype new single off his upcoming album Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors. The sample comes from his previous single Shutterbug and features cameos from @tip and @Ludacris. The track is loud, heavy and the verses are no different, sporting high octane bars from all three ATLiens.

@BigBoi's new album is scheduled to hit stores on December 11th. It will be his second straight solo album since the Outkast group hiatus that may have been more beef ridden than we all thought. I say that because of the sincere lyrical apology from Andre 3000 on T.I.'s new track Sorry. To summarize, Three Stacks apologized for being awkward, opting not to tour and even said he hopes it didn't cause he and Big Boi to lose any fans. In a recent interview at Hot 97, Big Boi responded by saying he should "apologize for turning down $1 million dollars a night (to perform)." My only thought on all this back and forth is that I hope they are able to somehow to back together to make great music again...especially since they're both back to making music and being featured on other artist's singles...#OutkastReunion

Big Boi feat T.I. & Ludacris - In The A

"I'm in My Zone, I'm Feelin' It"

Just in case you thought @bobatl had forever turned pop because that's the costume he has to wear to appease the suits who invest money in him, he's back with a track that will remind everyone where his allegiances lie (Hip Hop). Featuring the production of everyone's new favorite Southern producer, @MikeWiLLMadeIt, Bobby Ray proceeds to cook up a fairly hype club anthem. Even better, the track features @therealjuicyj and @tip, who take the track up a few notches.

If you're wondering how in the world you're going to manage to procure the track below, fear not, it will be on Bobby Ray's upcoming mixtape F*ck Em We Ball due out on November 15th. The real question is, where's the video to hype the mixtape...might as well call him king of the vlog...

Not sure about y'all, but I feel like any artist who can impress no matter what type of music he's making deserves some dap...#Hustlegang

B.O.B. feat T.I. & Juicy J - Still in This B*itch (prod by Mike Will)

Videos of the Week October 26th

A little bit of everything in this week's round of videos, mixing entertainment, music and even a little bit of Dubstep beatbox. Yea you heard it right, @iknowdavecrowe is about as filthy as it gets when it comes to making electro, robotic symphonies. Maybe I haven't been paying attention closely, but I haven't seen many YouTube videos that have 118,000 likes. It's one of those you have to see it to believe it, so if you're at all curious, that's the video you need to watch this week...#NoveltyItem

Pitbull feat TJR - Don't Stop the Party (Video)

Dave Crowe Dubstep Beatboxing Legend

Iron Man 3 Trailer

T.I. - Ball ft. Lil Wayne (Video)

Steve Aoki – Emergency ft Lil Jon & Chiddy Bang (Video)