"I Coulda Died But I Came Out Fighting"

"So many candles on that birthday cake, might set that thang on fiya"

Despite the fact that Lupe Fiasco has ruffled a lot of feathers over the years through his antagonistic and politically motivated rhymes, there's no question that he has the heart of an activist. So many people of influence talk about doing good things and find a way to donate to a list of hand picked charities that eminently afford them nice tax breaks, but Lupe is about action. He's shed a ton of light on the violence in Chicago recently, which has helped evolve the public discussion about the issues surrounding the rampant violence. With a new album on the horizon, he's shifted his focus to a new fight...cancer.

The week he debuted his lead single, Mission, off his upcoming Tetsuo & Youth album. He explained it best by saying...

‘Mission’ is a track to empower those facing cancer, revere cancer survivors and remember those who have passed to due to cancer related illnesses. With an inspiring introduction from various cancer survivors telling their story, anchored by legendary singer/songwriter and cancer survivor Charlie Wilson, ‘Mission’ has Lupe Fiasco expressing stories of the emotional burden of cancer, while also working to uplift those in an effort to help fight the disease. In support of ‘Mission,’ Lupe has joined Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), a grassroots movement to raise funds to accelerate the pace of cancer research, as a celebrity ambassador. Together, Lupe and Stand Up To Cancer are planning various collaborations tied to the track that will be unveiled later this year. http://www.standup2cancer.org'

Below is the track that starts after a 1:30 sec intro...
You'd be hard pressed not to be impressed by Mission. The song has limitless potential to serve as an inspirational anthem for so many people affected by cancer. It's clear that Lupe went out of his way to shout out as many types of cancer in an attempt to give strength to those who truly need it. It's exciting to hear about the Lupe and Stand Up to Cancer collaboration and I really hope it puts a huge dent in this seemingly endless fight. This is what music has the power to do and I hope more artists take note and use their influence for good...#Mission

"I Get More Hugs Than Oprah Selling Drugs"

The Lonely Island are back with a vengeance! We all should have known when Andy Samberg was hosting the season finale of SNL. First it was the impressions monologue, then the roasting of all EDM DJs and now a video for Hugs.

Nobody knows how to make a funny video with hilarious enactments of lyrics with lots of star features (Pharrell) like The Lonely Island. I'll say this too, the music they make isn't bad either. I always find myself pleasantly surprised by their beats, which force you to listen to their lyrics rather than skipping to the next song. In case you missed it (like I did), the track was released on their recent Wack Album about a year ago. The video below proves how much a video helps with their music...#Hugs

Photo Credit: YouTube

"Boom, Boom Knock You Out"

When it comes to EDM hooks, it doesn't get much catchier than the Bingo Players' Knock you Out. You can attribute that to the high-energy vocals of Kim Viera. She sets the table for the bouncy beat crafted by Maarten Hoogstraten.

The video below for the track, released a few days back, provides even more context to the addictive track...

Despite the fact that the Bingo Players duo has gone from two to one, the brand is continuing to sustain as one of the leaders in EDM. Word has it the track is a non-album single, so don't get your hopes up for a full-length album. Instead, you'll have to continue to be on the edge of your seat with me awaiting the next single...#KnockYouOut

Bingo Players feat Kim Viera - Knock You Out

"Go Ahead Illuminate and Shine On"

With four solid tracks already on the table, Afrojack has another up his sleeve in the form of Illuminate with Matthew Koma. Last year I fell in love with his Sovereign Light Cafe Remix. This year I was a fan of Ten Feet Tall, The Spark (my favorite) and his new one with Snoop called Dynamite. Needless to say, when his upcoming album, Forget the World, hits e-stores next week on May 19th, there will be an abundance of reasons why it would be a smart purchase.

One of the biggest reasons that I enjoy Afrojack's music is because it's versatile. He's not a one trick pony DJ, he can cater to the club audience, Hip Hop crowd and even the top 40 EDM ballad crowd with singles like the one below. Illuminate is definitely on the easy listening, chill side, but it has a lively, uplifting chord progression post-drop. Shoot there may have even been a hint of tropical house sprinkled in before the verses if you listen close. Feel free and stash this one on the piok-me-up playlist right next to Ten Feet Tall...#ForgetTheWorld

Afrojack feat Matthew Koma - Illuminate

Videos of the Week May 16th

Between Eminem's Headlights, JT's MJ tribute, and Jason Derulo's ridiculous dancing in #WiggleWiggleWiggle, there was a clear top three this week. To be honest, I had a really tough decision on what the cover art would be for this week, but when Spike Lee steps up to direct for you, you'll get the nod. Pretty cool how they went about telling the story of the song through the visuals. I'll maintain, it's going to go down as one of my top 10 favorite Eminem tracks when all is said and done.

I really appreciated the tasteful tribute that Justin Timberlake helped put together to honor Michael Jackson and promote his recently released album Xscape. Aside from the top three, the North Coast Music Festival would be circled on my calendar if I was still going to be in the Midwest this summer. Lots of great talent included, but not limited to Kid Cudi, Bassnectar, Nicky Romero, Keys N Krates, Wolfgang Gartner, etc. To cap off the week, it was not a big surprise to see Usher performing on the show he helped build, The Voice. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I can't wait to hear how his new EDM flavored album is going to sound...#GoodKisser
Eminem feat Nate Ruess - Headlights (Video) (Directed by Spike Lee)

Justin Timberlake & Michael Jackson - Love Never Felt So Good (Video)

Jason Derulo - #WiggleWiggleWiggle (Video)

North Coast Music Festival (Trailer)

Usher Performs Good Kisser on The Voice

Blink Has Been Resurrected and Now Remixed

About a month back, I posted a new, rejuvenated version of his track Blink. Now, we get yet another take on the track by John Dahlbäck himself. Compared to his most recent take on the track with Benny Benassi, the new version is much more aggressive and hard hitting. The vocals are sped up a bit and as a result, the synths are much more high octane post-drop. Word has it the remix will be released via Ultra Records tomorrow and be available via Beatport/ just in time to add to your weekend party playlists...#BlinkAgain

John Dahlbäck & Benny Benassi - Blink Again (John Dahlbäck Remix)

"Touching You Feels So Right, Let Me Satisfy"

When it comes to unique styles within EDM suited to my personal tastes, you won't find a closer match than Nero. Having grown up idolizing Outkast's ability to mix drum n bass into Hip Hop, I've always been fond of the heavy and repetitive drum rhythms. Having shifted my focus toward EDM over the past year or so, I've grown fond of what artists like Skrillex, Rusko and Diplo have crafted in the name of dubstep. When combined altogether, you get a mix of all my favorites, which is why Nero is hands down one of my favorites.

A few years back when I saw Nero in concert at the Electric Factory in Philly, my face nearly melted with their high energy set. They played all their best music from their now classic album Welcome Reality. Keeping all that in mind, my day was made yesterday when they released a new lead single in the form of Satisfy. On the track, Alana Watson provides her usual eerily seductive intro that gives way to a rolling bassline that would be appropriate for a police chase scene. Such an awesome example of drum n bass. If this track is any indication of what's to come from Nero, they just might have a shot at equaling their last album's success...#Satisfy

Nero - Satisfy

"All in the Name of Love, I Wanna Get Me Some"

When it comes to longevity in EDM, you won't be able to find many artists that were around near the Millennium over a decade ago. Back then, Tiesto was making great house music before EDM blew up in the US. He started back in 2001 when the closest thing Americans had to electronic music was a thing called "techno." Even then it was a niche audience for about a decade until the likes of Skrillex, Avicii and David Guetta started to blend synthesizers with other pop friendly genres like Hip Hop, R&B and Pop.

Having said all of that, I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Avicii's latest album, True, has lit a fire under Tiesto. It would be hard to argue against the monumental impact that Avicii has had on pop music over the past year. In large part Tiesto hasn't ever geared his music toward American tastes and the numbers prove it out. The highest chart Billboard chart position any of his five studio albums has reached is #59 with Kaleidoscope.

That's all about to change with his upcoming album A Town Called Paradise. To date, he has two top 15 US dance singles in Red Lights and Wasted. Now, he's about to add a third to that list of top 15 singles with Let's Go, featuring the vocals Icona Pop. It's as catchy as you'd expect and has the vibe of a feel-good summer anthem. It will without a doubt give Red Lights a run as top single on the album and challenge the top spot before all is said and done. Something tells me before it's all said and done, Tiesto might finally plant his flag in the US in 2014...#ATCP

Thomas Jack Creates Another Golden Remix

And the streak of awesome music from Thomas Jack continues. For his latest slice of chill, easy-going EDM, he took a swing at Gabriel Rios's Gold. Check the original below for reference...

Prior to the remix, I had never heard of Gabriel Rios, which is a shame because he's a talented vocalist. As illustrated by the original song, his mix of acoustic guitar and harmony will draw you in. At this point it's a toss up between the original and remix, but I'll give the nod to Thomas Jack's upbeat version of Gold. I've mentioned it a few times before, but his Tropical House Vol 2 is a great listen and better yet, it's free. Without a doubt, he's on a short list of artists I'm really excited about in 2014...#ThomasJack

Gabriel Rios - Gold (Thomas Jack Remix)

"Cause I'm Sleepless About You"

Just when I thought I had a bead on Cazzette, they took a sharp left turn toward a new deep house sound. You might remember last year's hit Beam Me Up, which put the Swedish duo on the map. Their new single, Sleepless, is nothing like Beam Me Up. It features a heavy bassline led instrumental that compliments a muffled, but melodic vocal sample. Unexpectedly fresh is a good way to describe it. It takes the emerging deep house sound and transforms it into something dripping with emotion and rhythm. No word yet on when a new album is coming out, but color me excited about what Cazzette is doing...#Sleepless

Cazzette - Sleepless

Wale's New Track Off the Million Dollar Arm Soundtrack

Middle eastern flavored Hip Hop? That's the interesting new angle that Wale took on his new Keep the Hustle track off the upcoming Million Dollar Arm Soundtrack. The Indian influence injected by Slumdog composer A.R. Rahman is palpable on the beat and vocals, reflecting the core theme of an Indian cricket player making it to the Major Leagues. Check the trailer below if you haven't seen it yet...

Not sure I'm totally buying in on the movie's plot, but I'll admit, I've always wondered how transferable the skills were between cricket and baseball. It's really early, but the movie is about 50/50 on Rotten Tomatoes. Not enough of a sample size for me to be convinced, but between the track below and Iggy Azalea's Million Dollar Dream song, I'd say the Million Dollar Arm soundtrack has some potential...#KeepTheHustle

Wale - Keep the Hustle

Videos of the Week May 9th

Ah yes, an eclectic week for videos led by the much anticipated Electric Zoo 2014 trailer. Honestly, we should all be happy that the entire festival isn't cancelled after last year's fiasco. In other news, Coldplay has a new dope album coming out and they were gracious enough to let us in on another single with Always In My Head.

Further, you had to expect Steve Aoki and Waka Flocka would craft a hype video for Rage the Night Away. The real question is who yells better over EDM, Lil Jon or Waka Flocka? Tough call! And to close the week out, Dr. Dre gets the title as the first billionaire in Hip Hop as Beats By Dre gets bought up by Apple. Exhale folks and feel free to press play below as Tyrese attempts to crip walk and do just to the large scale business deal that just happened...#BeatsByDre
Electric Zoo 2014 Trailer


Coldplay Perform In My Head on Late Nite With Jimmy Fallon


Steve Aoki feat Waka Flocka - Rage the Night Away (Video)


Lana Del Rey - West Coast (Video)


Dr. Dre Becoming Hip Hop's First Billionaire

Photo Credit:YouTube

Turn Down For What Gets a 2nd Hip Hop Makeover

Now that Lil Jon has channeled his crunk energy toward EDM and more specifically Trap music, he's trying his best to bring Hip Hop with him. First, it was the Turn Down For What remix with Juicy J, 2 Chainz and French Montana that got a lot of attention around Hip Hop circles. Now, Lil Jon has upped the ante by getting Luda and Pitbull to go in on everyone's favorite party track.

The only real question is, how much play can you really give one hit track? I really appreciate this whole connection between EDM and Hip Hop with Trap, but can't we start fresh with a new track? I'm being critical, but I will say this remix is leaps and bounds better than the first Hip Hop remix. Luda did work and showed out, carrying the 2nd mix. You better believe Miami clubs are going to eat this alive...#TDFW

Lil Jon & DJ Snake feat Ludacris & Pitbull - Turn Down For What (Remix)

If Bass Were Money, Bassnectar Would Rule the World

If I've learned one thing about Bassnectar over the years, it's that you better come correct with your speaker game or you're going to have a poor experience when listening to his music. If you've got either decent pair of headphones or a set of subwoofers, you've probably learned to appreciate the depth and heavy vibration that comes along with Lorin's music. His new one, Now, featuring the vocals of Rye Rye is no exception, emanating a laid back, summery vibe. I'm digging the tempo changes throughout the track that give the audience a moment to catch their breath after a non-stop bass assault.

Word on the streets is that he's enlisting the support of his fan base to come up with the title for his new album. Right now the album is affectionately know by the hashtag #NVSB, but that will continue to evolve. The 15 track album is scheduled to hit stores on June 24th, so we've got a bit of waiting to do. Lucky for us, Bassnectar was nice enough to give us the first one for free...#NVSB

Bassnectar feat Rye Rye - Now

A Midweek Dose of Audio Sunshine

For those in need of a positive energy boost to get you through the mid-week doldrums, I got you. With the help of UK producer Slinger, all of you worries will melt away after a few listens of his remix of Pharrell's Brand New. Sure, it helps that Justin Timberlake's vocals play well on a funky dance track, but I have no problem admitting that this little slice of modern disco eclipses the original version. Between the vibrant bassline and cheery cover art, you might as well start getting in a good mood before pressing play below because it's a forgone conclusion. In case you missed it, Pharrell's album GIRL is pretty dope and deserving of your attention too...#BrandNew

Pharrell - Brand New (Slinger Remix)

Usher Gives a Tip of the Cap to Good Kissers

I'm a child of 90s R&B, so there will always be room on my playlists for some Usher Raymond. He's released seven studio albums since 1993 and I can honestly say that there are at least one to two classic tracks on each. That consistency has spanned across three decades, which is impressive.

It's rare that music videos are released the same time as a single, but Usher managed to do it with
Good Kisser. Visuals below for those of you who will always be mesmerized by his dance moves...

To answer your question, yes this lead single means he has an album coming out soon. No word on title, but word has it Diplo, Skrillex and Pharrell will be appearing on the album. We'll see how some of those EDM flavors blend with his evolving style that has morphed into a lot of dance floor favorites with the whole Swedish House Mafia influence on his previous album Looking 4 Myself. Tip of the cap to all the good kissers out there, you know who you are...#GoodKisser

Usher - Good Kisser

A Resurrected MJ Makes Love Feel Good With JT

I'll admit, there's a part of me that is a little uneasy with posthumous music releases. The motives tend to be sketchy and run dangerously close to exploitation. Still, I can't help but get excited when I hear people talk about 2pac, Aaliyah and Michael Jackson tracks because there really aren't very many good substitutes for their talents.

With all that being said, MJ's new one with Justin Timberlake is so grown and sexy that your parents may even like it more than you. It's as if they channeled their inner Earth, Wind & Fire when they injected Justin's influence into a song that was originally recorded back in 1983. Despite being fully aged, it came off seamless enough to get me excited for MJ's upcoming album Xscape, due out on May 13th. Man do I miss the King of Pop...#LoveNeverFeltSoGood

Lil Wayne and Drake Drop First Single Off The Carter V

Suffice to say, the internet ceases to breathe when any Lil Wayne featuring Drake track drops. Add to that fact the buzz that Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V is starting to generate and you've got a track that's white hot. Me, I was just as excited about Boi-1da being behind the production of the track. The verses from the two heavyweights are aiiiight, but the tough talk is a little played out. I'd much rather hear a fun, swagger dripped collabo between the two like She Will or HYFR or even Miss Me. I thoroughly appreciated the tempo change mid-track, so don't sleep on that transition around the three minute mark. I'm sure it'll be the first of many noteworthy tracks from Weezy's upcoming album, so I'm going to remain optimistic despite it not being anywhere close to my favorite collabo between the two...#BelieveMe

Lil Wayne feat Drake - Believe Me (prod by Boi-1da & Vinylz)

Videos of the Week May 2nd

Silly is the name of the game on this week's top five. Leading the way is Jimmy Fallon and Cameron Diaz's photobomb sesh and The Black Keys prank calling stunt. Both are fun in their own way, but mildly invasive in their own right. It was really cool seeing Kendrick cover 2pac at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. It's as if they're both from LA and share similar diction and mannerisms. Oh yea, and there's Jon Lajoie aka Taco from The League who would like nothing more than for you to advertise your product with his song. Last and definitely not least is Skrillex's tour promo. This summer won't be complete without taking a ride on the #Mothership...
Jimmy Fallon & Cameron Diaz Celebrity Photobomb (Video)

The Black Keys Prank Calling Record Labels (Audio)

Kendrick Lamar Covers California Love at iHeartRadio Music Awards

Skrillex Mothership Tour Trailer

Jon Lajoie - Please Use This Song (Video)
Photo Credit: YouTube

All Felli Fel Wanna Do is Have Some Fun

What an odd collection of noteworthy Hip Hop artists on one track. Just looking at the artists on the track, it's hard to predict what to expect. Maybe my mental model is off because I still see Juicy J and think 100 proof Southern Hip Hop, but I didn't see an upbeat dance hit on first glance. With DJ Felli Fel at the helm, that's exactly what transpired on Have Some Fun. Cee-Lo Green drives the club friendly single with the help of Pitbull who found himself at home on the borderline modern disco hit. Now word yet on when Felli Fel's new album is dropping, but I will say that I appreciate his style over DJ Khaled's. Both DJs have the ability to bring epic collaboartions together, the only difference is the lack of yelling and personal promotion. Tip of the cap Felli Fel, let your work speak for itself...#HaveSomeFun

DJ Felli Fel feat Pitbull, Juicy J, Cee Lo - Have Some Fun (prod by DJ Felli Fel)