"Let It Go, Cause I'ma I'ma Go For Broke"

There's a lot to sink your teeth into with Machine Gun Kelly's new single Go For Broke. First and foremost, Hip Hop heads like me immediately noticed the "Ahhhhh" breadcrumb at the start of the track signifying a Runners beat. Needless to say, their contribution to the track was a huge reason why it necessitated a post. Second, if you're an X Factor fan, you'll enjoy that season 9 winner James Arthur chipped in a stellar hook on the track. His voice alone was a golden ticket to Top 40 appeal. And all this is not to take anything away from Machine Gun Kelly who has vaulted himself into the lime light with a succession of noteworthy singles. When you add this to At My Best and Bad Things, you've got yourself a foundation for a great album. Speaking of which, Bloom hit e-tailers on Friday. At this point if you haven't already jumped over to Spotify to give the album a listen then you're missing out...#GoForBroke

Machine Gun Kelly feat James Arthur - Go For Broke (prod by The Runners & Monarch)

The Runners Are Back on A House Tip

Those of you who have been frequenting this block of the internet for over two years have observed a noticeable shift in music being posted on a daily basis. First it was Hip Hop with a little pop/electronic and not it's almost completely electronic with Hip Hop/pop cameos. I've maintained through the blog's existence that I post energetic music that moves me. I still don't have a good reason why Hip Hop fell out of favor other than the great producers stopped providing beats to the bigger Hip Hop names.

That being said, if you were to ask me to name my top 10 Hip Hop producers, The Runners would without a doubt be on that list. After a year or so hiatus, it's only fitting that The Runners return to the game with a distinctly progressive house flare. Teaming up with Alex Maire and Frederick, We Will Stand has an uplifting vibe that builds to a few different energy purging crescendos. I'd be kidding if I told you I saw this transition coming, but it makes me feel just a little but justified in evolving my music tastes when one of my favorite production duos turns over the same new leaf...#WeWillStand

The Runners & Alec Maire feat Frederick - We Will Stand (Radio Edit)

"Sometimes Even Thugs Fall"

Even though The Runners haven't been churning out songs like they did in their heyday a few years back, I'm still a big believer in everything they touch. If you were to tell me that a hook by Kevin Cossom is included on a track they produced, you could be Joe Schmo from the corner bodega and I'd still give the track a serious listen. What's great is that Ace Hood is much better than Joe Schmo and he just released a new album this past week called Trials & Tribulations. Call it a thug ballad if you will, it's a new school slow jam that has a healthy mix of bars, a great hook and smooth production.

If you're buying the album on iTunes, don't expect to see them gem below on it. Instead you'll need to go to Target because the suits need to give you just a little more incentive to spend a few extra bucks on the music. What fun would it be anyways if you could buy it for $1.29 on iTunes anyway?...#BrokenBusinessModel

Ace Hood feat Kevin Cossom - Thugs Fall (prod by The Runners)

"How Could I Ever Repay, I.O.U."

As someone who believes producers are a bigger predictor of track success than the artist, a good move to get my attention is to find a way to get a big name producer to fork over a beat for you. There's a good chance I'll be able to tell whether it was money or talent that enabled you to procure the beat, but I've found that more often than not, getting a producer co-sign is usually an indication of talent. So for example, when your lead single is produced by The Runners, then Danjahandz produces your remix, big huge red sirens go off in my head that force me to listen.

Enter, Luke James, who is signed to Danja's NARS (New Age Rock Stars) label. Evidently he'll be opening for Beyonce this summer on some of her tour dates, which is another nice feather in his cap. In case you haven't heard the original version of I.O.U. that came out in early February, check out the lyric video below.

The original is cool and all, but the remix with Wale blows the original out of the water. On the remix Luke manages to pull a Trey Songz/Kevin Cossom and sing/rap his way to multi-dimensional success. I'm a big fan of artists than can pull off both, so you better believe I'll be keeping an eye on Luke's upcoming debut album Made to Love due out July 16th...#NARS

Luke James feat Wale - I.O.U. (Summertime Remix)(prod by Danja)

"Skin Tone Like Hershey, Body Lord Have Mercy"

I'll always be a sucker for the flashy production quality of @TheRunners and the other-worldly lyrical creativity of @myfabolouslife. Put them together on a track with @ChrisBrown and you've got the makings of a potentially great lead single. I used the word potential because I was hoping for more of an upbeat track prior to listening and what I got was a relatively slow, radio friendly effort.

Sure, the witty lines from Fab are there and the production quality with the CB hook should give his new album Loso's Way II: Rise to Power a solid head start, but it isn't a track that will survive long on the iTunes playlist. Glad to heat the refreshing "Ahhhhh" signifying The Runners beat, though. Hopefully there's a lot more to come in 2013...#Ready

Fabolous feat Chris Brown - Ready (prod by The Runners)

"Don't Be Scared Just Take it to the Head"

I was just thinking today, when was the last notable Hip Hop soundtrack? I'm talking like The Nutty Professor, The Players Club or Friday type of compilations that had a hot new song from just about anybody and everybody in Hip Hop. Other than a few exceptions, they went by the wayside like Surge and Crystal Pepsi.

Like any window of opportunity that closes, another one opens. The extinction created opportunities for DJ's like @djkhaled and @djdrama, who have filled that void with similar All-Star collaborations. Below is the newest collabo featuring @liltunchi, @chrisbrown, @nickiminaj and @rickyrozay off Khaled's upcoming album Kiss the Ring. If you don't pay attention closely, you might miss @therealrunners on the production credits. It's not their typical show stealing beat, but it does the trick for the new mid-tempo single that should find it's way into the top 40 soon enough.

DJ Khaled feat Chris Brown Nicki Minaj Rick Ross & Lil Wayne - Take it to the Head (prod by The Runners)
|iTunes

Kid Ink is Poppin' on the Low

I'm more than a couple minutes late on the track below, but after giving @kid_ink's new album a listen and seeing his new video for Low Key Poppin, I had to share a few thoughts. In case you missed it, Kid just released a mixtape titled Daydreamer a week ago that was executive produced by @DEEJAYILLWILL. This album all the sudden became pretty noteworthy to me personally when I saw the likes of @THERUNNERS, @SMOKEDOUTLUGER and @thabizness on the production credits. Put it this way, I'm more of a fan of producers than I am artists because there's a lot stronger correlation between music I like and who produced it...#My2Cents

Fresh outta LA and ink'd up damn near head to toe, you can probably guess where his name came from. What you wouldn't expect is that he's been behind the scenes collaborating with a lot of your favorite artists while beginning to write his own stuff in preparation of launching his own solo career. Now signed by The Alumni Entertainment Group (who have one of the flashier sites I've seen in a while), you can expect that the near 30k downloads of his new album will only increase.

I did my part and copped the album and it'd be worth your while to check out tracks like Blackout and Live it Up, which should find a way on there more than a few iPods the next month or two. If you have any doubts check the video and ride out to the dope Runners beat...

The west coast needs someone to lead the new school Hip Hop charge and I'd throw Kid Ink in a small group of up and comers like @kendrick_lamar, @NIPSEYHUSSLE and @jayrock who have the ability to run with the likes of @THEREALCROOKEDI in keeping the buzz high out in Cali. Hip Hop needs Cali to be strong in order to continue being recognized as one of the most powerful genre's out. I'm cynical based on what the new crowd has to offer as a whole, but there's a lot of hope and the track below is a big reason why...

Kid Ink - Low Key Poppin' (prod by The Runners)

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)

|Download

"Donne-moi des bouteilles de Conjure"

Case in point for a track that sells itself with @IAMDIDDY teaming up with @ludacris over a @THERUNNERS beat. Nothin' more refreshing to hear than The Runners trademark "Aaaahhhhh" because with it comes an expectation of quality that few producers can claim right now. Kinda like B.O.B.'s Not Lost, it's a damn shame this one didn't make the cut for @dirtymoneycrew's Last Train to Paris. Seeing that Diddy is a business.....man, I'm sure this track won't go un-monetized over time and will someday be made into a single, so no worries folks, this will probably be on iTunes soon enough. 'Til then feel free to sample below and follow word by word with Luda...

"Let’s take a little time off I,
Paid the cost to be the boss I'm fine
Your work, your bills, I’ma get them all off your mind
Let me get ‘em, and hit ‘em up with the rhythm,
Put them right where you want them,
then I’ma blow your brain
Diddy got the remedy for the enemies,
And The Runners is the gunners, so my flow go Bang!
I’m on the last train to Paris,
Lil Jerome , Bonjour
Donne-moi des bouteilles de Conjure (Gimme bottles of Conjure)
see we all just came to party
picture perfect for the paps, just pose
and when we start going in this club
you gon’ start comin’ off them clothes"

Diddy feat Ludacris - Tomorrow Tonight (prod by The Runners)

|Download

Sample Justice: Rick Ross - Audio Meth vs Mobb Deep - Shook Ones (Part II)

You had better come strong with little to no half steppin' when attempting to sample a revered Hip Hop classic like @HAVOCMOBBDEEP and @prodigymobbdeep's Shook Ones Part II. It's kinda sad most people now associate the original beat of this track to the video below:

...but I digress, Em did kill that freestyle and that scene still gives me chills when I watch it. The way Em tears down his own character, battle-rap style, leaving the Away Team crowd in complete favor of him before he drops the mic like it's white hot (pardon the pun).

Pre-8 Mile, I had every single bar of Mobb Deep's original version memorized...I'm talkin' Biggie - Juicy kinda memorization. I agree with Diddy, you can't call yourself a fan of Hip Hop if every single word doesn't fly out of your mouth when that classic comes on.

While I tend to favor Prodigy's verses over Havoc's on most tracks, it's like splitting hairs on this one with both being on point like @oneandonlycp3. Matter of fact, please do yourself a favor if you're not familiar with the original by pressing play below.

Mobb Deep - Shook Ones (Part II)
| Download

I'm betting if you're not active among the blogs you probably missed the bonus track off @rickross305's new album Teflon Don titled Audio Meth. Couple things I really like about this track, for one, @THERUNNERS did a great job at taking the most notable part of the beat and running with it (dammit I need to stop the puns). It wasn't too over the top and they meshed it well with Ricky Rosay's style in my humble opinion. Another great addition to the track was NY's own Chef Raekwon, who gave it the NY flavor that the original track had with both Havoc and Prodigy being from Queensbridge. @raekwon has been bringin' it of late and killed double R on his own track...#Truth

Overall a solid use of the sample, I've got no beef with the way The Runners sampled it. If you haven't heard it make a point to check it out because other than B.M.F., this was the highlight of his new album...

Rick Ross feat Raekwon - Audio Meth (prod by The Runners)
| Download

Throwback Thurs: "Born N Raised in the County of Wade"

With all this excitement that's being generated in and around the Miami metro area with the signing of the Three Kings (pictured above), I couldn't help but Throw Thursday all the way back to 2006 when DJ Khaled introduced us formally to what we then called Dade county. When I think of Dade County, I think of Pitbull screaming 305 on every track, I think of The Runners beats that make you wanna drive fast (yes I know they're from Orlando, but they have been behind 90% of all the noteworthy hits to come out of the 305). I think of Rick Ross's raspy flow over loud beats and most noticeably I think of DJ Khaled yellin' WE THE BEST!! and LISSSSTEENN!! over every track.

Many will point to Uncle Luke as the King of Miami in terms of putting Hip Hop on the map. Me, I was a little too young at the time to gain an appreciation for that, so it started for me with Trick Daddy around 1998 when his single Nann got some radio and TV exposure. Looking back it may not have been the highest quality Hip Hop, but it started burning the coals around the Miami Dade County area for Hip Hop. My next memory came when I was on a baseball trip to Boca Raton my freshman year hearing Oye by @PLANETPIT on a local radio station and being genuinely excited about the sound of Miami's upbeat Reggaeton infused Hip Hop. That was his first track and while he's stepped up his game from that point, his music still hasn't changed all that much, which is cool.

Since then it has grown so much that it's one of the hotbeds of Hip Hop, mostly on the backs of @PLANETPIT and @rickross305. Sidebar: If you haven't copped Ross's new album, he definitely shows off a more laid back side of his game, which lends to a higher quality sound if you're a fan. I love his past @COOLANDDRE/@THERUNNERS tracks though, so to me my favorite part is missing, but still it's definitely worth copping the Teflon Don.

Give the real Dade County anthem a listen while you're at it...hate to give all the credit to production but The Runners beat goes HAAARRRD!

DJ Khaled feat Trick Daddy Rick Ross & Pitbull - Born N' Raised (prod by The Runners)

 | Download

While I'm at it, let's address all this Wade County talk and non-stop booty chatter by @DWADEOFFICIAL, @chrisbosh and @kingjames. In case you somehow missed Lebron forecasting that the Heat will win up to 7 titles on the night he signed, it came off as pretty ridiculous. I mean I've heard of believing in yourself and  your teammates, but maybe a little too much hype?? I can see why Cudi wanted to congradulate you with the back of his hand after dumping Cleveland publicly and Dan Snyder's reaction was a little bit too much like an ex-gf, but when I think about it, I'm missing the end game here with all this talk. If you predict it and do it in 7-10 years, you know you'll be able to unquestionably call yourself the man and I can respect you setting public goals to self-motivate. Just understand a whole lotta people don't like that type of off top cockiness especially when it's unfounded so far. Time will tell, but until then I'm gonna cop one of these fresh Wade county joints. White or Black?

As a final aside, what's even more annoying is now rappers are jumping on your bandwagon of predictions and claiming it's in the bag. SMH with capitol melontruckin' letters y'all. Seriously!? Man I really hope Hip Hop in Miami benefits from the exodus to Miami and doesn't lead everyone thinkin' they're on top of the world when a game hasn't even been played yet. Cool out y'all...on the real...

Song below if you care to listen to listen to the consequences of Lebron's prediction...

Flo Rida feat Billy Blue, Brisco, Brianna, Ballgreezy & Picalo - We Already Won (Miami Heat)
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Throwback Thurs: "More Money Means More Dough to Blow"

With Rick Ross's new album Teflon Don coming out in a little less than two weeks and tracks from that album blowing out Gulf of Mexico style (songs don't just leak anymore #ontothenextone), it's only fitting I revisit one of my favorite tracks of his. Sure Hustlin' is going to get all the credit as the "cannonball" single that got his name in the mainstream, but this cut from his debut album Port of Miami released in 2006 is where he exploded to me.

From the looks of the tracklist, it seems like he's trying a new route on his newest album that is geared more towards reeling in some more mainstream success, rather than sticking with the sound that got him to where he's at now characterized by trap anthems like Hustlin', Speedin' and Push It. No production from JR Rotem, DJ Toomp, Cool n Dre and most notably The Runners has me a little worried about the quality of his new album. No disrespect to J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League because he's proven he can bring it on more than a few occasions, but he's done some classic tracks with the aforementioned producers and the lack of their presence on his new music has me skipping lots of Rick Ross material lately. That new single with Ne-Yo was garbage in my opinion and while I do appreciate the Drake collab on the new album along with yet ANOTHER Maybach Music track, it's not looking good.

Now that all that skepticism is outta my system, let's focus on what got Rick here with Blow, where he raps over a boisterous Cool n Dre beat that can be heard for miles with a little bit of volume. These are the types of tracks that make me think of Miami hip hop and the loud organ/synth combination that has dominated that region thanks mostly to @COOLANDDRE and @THERUNNERS. The whiny synthesizers and depth of the bass are the allure to me and it helps too that William Roberts contributes some cohesive, baller status verses in sort of a talk it before you live it sort of way. Now that he's actually living it, it's cool to look back and admire the confidence, while *hoping* for future tracks that get back to this sound.

Hit the recliner and throw it way back on hot as a melonfarmer Thursday...

Rick Ross feat Dre - Blow (prod by Cool n Dre)
|Download

New Ish...Flo Rida - Star (prod by The Runners)

Not used to such a laid back look from the man known for lighting up dance floors year round. To be honest, I gained more respect for him with this song than any of his other platinum club hits (here, here , here and of course here). Nothin' more refreshing than The Runners "Aaaaaaahhhhhhh" at the beginning of the song. I'd liken it to climbin' up the hill on a roller coaster...you hear it and you know you're about to get something great.

While Flo Rida is never gonna win awards for thought provoking lyrics, he still deserves a whole lotta dap for trail blazing his way to the top with his unique, undulating multi-syllabic flow that is as at home as koala bear enjoying a eucalyptus cough drop (oh what? Koalas don't get colds too?? Its freakin' cold/flu season, come on! Click here for a random koala fact) over a fast (usually Runners) beat. I'm glad he's mixin' it up a bit tempo wise even if he's stickin' to his guns flow wise...always good to see a little versatility.

I'm very pleased to say this probably won't becoming radio roadkill anytime soon because it's not as fast as his usual hits and he'll probably drop a lead single dance track before falling back on a real smooth track like the one below. Not counting it out as single material yet though cause any artist would be stupid not to use a Runners beat as a single. Guess we'll see...check it...

Flo Rida - Star (prod by The Runners) Hooootttt!!!!


As a bonus check out an under the radar guest spot off up and coming R&B artist J. Lewis title Dancing For Me...definitely worth a listen...


J. Lewis feat Flo Rida - Dancing For Me Hot!!

808 Check: DJ Khaled feat Young Jeezy Plies Rick Ross - Put Your Hands Up (prod by The Runners)

Ya know what? I was half way done with this post before I realized it would be wrong not to picture the production crew responsible for this felony assault on your eardrums. Again, if you ain't know, The Runners are pictured above from left to right Jermaine "Mayne Zayne" Jackson and Andrew "Dru Brett" Harr. Yea they are responsible for these songs here. Saying their beats are particularly bass heavy is a bigger understatement than Gilbert Arenas saying it was a bad financial decision to bring guns to work ($147,000 per game?? ouch!! It's ok support your homie and grab one of these hot "Free Gilbert" shirts, appropriately placed amid the old Washington Bullets logo).

Anyways, back to this absolutely BANGIN Runners beat...this track can only be played loud and if you have any sort of subwoofer plugged in at or near or in the vicinity of where this song resides, please do yourself a favor and give the foundation a little massage...I know I did.

As an aside, not really a fan of any of these verses from Jeezy, Plies or Rick Ross, but who cares, it's like yelling at an aquarium "OMG I just saw a fish"...Really dude?...you know what I'm mean, it's part of the scenery, so in essence they are to me auxiliary elements of what you end up hearing. In my world that's all Hip Hop is sometimes, beats and rhythms with people saying words that don't usually matter...and the degree to which it ends up mattering or having an effect on me has to do with the level of creativity, intellect that goes into the wordplay and these three rappers aren't necessarily known for that. Not trying to be a hater or take anything away, all three rappers are heavyweights in their own neighborhood of Hip Hop and just because that street isn't necessarily one I like to travel down often doesn't mean it doesn't get respect from the block.

Enough talk, give you speakers some sugar and turn the dial to the right a lil bit...

DJ Khaled feat Young Jeezy Plies Rick Ross - Put Your Hands Up (prod by The Runners) HEAVY!!!

September 1 R&B

Might as well start the month off right with some new Colby O & Lloyd to set it off.

Lots goin' on this week with the best Song List sent out this year highlighting the abundance of high caliber tracks that August has now became known for.

Gave Blueprint 3 a first listen today & have yet to gain an appreciation for the non-Timbo produced tracks, but still know they are going to grow on me because they definitely showcase a more refined, grown up style of music that is a lot more actual music than Rap...know what I'm sayin? Probably not yet, but you'll see....

Colby O'Donis - Talkin Bout Us (prod by Darkchild) Top 5 R&B AUG!!

Lloyd feat Juelz Santana - Pusha (prod by the Runners) AHHHH Hot!!!

TC - Where She's At Very Underrated Song!!

New Artist Spotlight: Kevin Cossom

Quickly gaining steam in the underground is up and coming R&B sensation Kevin Cossom. Lo and behold homie was born in illadelph too! What you don't know about this dude is he's very well known in the game already as a go-to writer for hit singles. Yea you guys may have heard a couple of the hooks he wrote: Rick Ross - Speedin, Young Jeezy - Go Getta, Maino - All the Above, Ace Hood - Cash Flow...just to name a few new ones.

Needless to say he's got the tools for success in his writing ability and on top of that he's now starting to do his own R&B thing, having just released his own Pre-album through his myspace. Luckily for him, he's made music with two of the biggest production giants in The Runners (songs above) and is now signed to Danjahandz's record label N.A.R.S. (New Age Rock Stars).

Here are a couple of his best songs that you probably haven't heard yet. Be sure and check out that new one with Snoop prod by Danja....crazy HOT!

Kevin Cossom - You Know What You Doin (prod by Danjahandz) Hot!

Kevin Cossom - Compatible (prod by The Runners) Hott!!

Kevin Cossom feat Snoop Dogg - Relax (prod by Danjahandz) Hottt!!!

Extra Video: Kevin talks about working with Danjahandz.