Nas - The N (mp3)(That was fast.) Nas - The N
Gotta love the Jim Jones subliminal here. Not one of the most talked about songs from Hip-Hop Is Dead. I guess gangstas move in silence after all.

Meanwhile, an official press release often means that the album will actually drop sometime this decade. Check it:

Nas keeps it vital from jump. On "Q.B. True G," featuring Compton's The Game, the two MCs trade verses over a vicious Dr. Dre beat; the student pays homage to the teacher, remembering standing on line to cop Illmatic. On the Nas-produced "Where Are They Now," Nas runs through a litany of classic, bygone MCs over a monster James Brown sample. The theme continues on the Scott Storch-produced "Carry On Tradition," a warning to students of the game. "Still Dreamin'" features a soul-heavy beat and hook from Kanye West. Elsewhere, Snoop Dogg shows up on the west-coast tinged "Play On Player." (HHID Press Release)

Bonus Cut
Clipse ft. Pharrell - New World
The Game feat. Jamie Foxx - Around the World

Former Roc-A-Fella vice-president Kenny Burns and video director Little X recently threw a Halloween party. Pictures after the jump.

Kenny Burns -- Bilal












Pharoahe Monch -- Jazz (Black Buddafly)












Melyssa Ford













Oh yeah, Michael Jackson was there too.

-Jay-Z finally yields to pressure and responds to Jim Jones: Interview with Flex and the requisite Freestyle. Lyrics. Props to Essbee and Eskay.

-36 Chambers of Love: U-God offers romantic advise.

-Def Jam drops Teairra Mari. (Well done, Rih.) Her name was such a pain to spell anyway.

-In the overly hyped December issue of XXL Hov says he dissed 2Pac in front of 2000 people.

-MP3 of the day: A.G. - "Frozen"--from A.G.'s Get Dirty Radio in stores today. Other CDs released today...

-Also, Ghostface Killah - "Ghost Is Back" (mp3)

-Jessica Alba joins the chorus by posing for Playboy magazine.

Yesterday marked the 4th death anniversary of Jam Master Jay. Rest in peace to Jason Mizell, one of the most important hip-hop artists of all time.

Nas - Hip-Hop Is Dead (produced by will.i.am)
Same sample as "Thief's Theme". Different concept. Will.i.am needs to see a doctor fast.

-Snoop takes a break from toting collapsible batons to "educate" the masses.

-Video: Skateboard P + Snoop Dogg - "That Girl"

-Google Hip-Hop Engine? Hell to the yeah. One of the reasons Jay Smooth is a pioneer of this blog sh*t.

-Maybe this will inspire bigger hip-hop publications to feature deserving indie artists on the cover. No?

-Is Jermaine Dupri headed to Def Jam?

-Jim Jones invites you to burn his new album if you can't afford to buy it. Come to think of it, who would want to buy a CD with a mispelled title?

-Is this really Beyonce?

You have a leaky weekend to thank for some 11th hour changes to this mix. Link will go down after 3 days, so get it while you can.

Track List
1. Love Jones Instro
2. Lupe Fiasco - Dedicated
3. Jay-Z - Lost Ones
4. Snoop ft. The Game - Gang Bangin' 101
5. Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
6. Amerie - Blow
7. Big Tuck ft. Erykah Badu - Ain't No Mistaken
8. Mobb Deep ft. 50 Cent - Look Out
9. UGK - Game Belong to Me
10. SOV - 9 to 5
11. Zion I + Grouch - Trains & Planes
12. Jay-Z - Allure (Rmx)
13. Snoop ft. R. Kelly - That's That
14. The Game ft. Nas & Marsha - Why Hate the Game
15. Joe Budden - Broken Wings
16. The Game ft. Busta Rhymes - Doctor's Advocate
17. Won't Do Oustro

Rizoh's Radio 12: Natural Selection

You just knew it was only a matter of time before Bria Myles graced XXL's Eye Candy section. Here are some Bria pictorials from the December issue.

The Game feat. Nas - "Why You Hate the Game"(mp3)

Funny thing is, I'm not even at the crib right now (thank God for laptops). Props to Mass Ebdrup for the prompt email.

"I don't talk about my guns, n*gga I Just Blaze," (Taylor)

"I could show 'em the water but can't make 'em drink it
And I could show them my fortunes by can't force 'em to think rich
And still I don't abort 'em when and if they sink quick," (Jones)

Phew!

I could do without Just Blaze and his Kanye-esque shoutout at the end of the song though.

Bonus Cuts
The Game feat. Busta Rhymes - "The Doctor's Advocate"
The Game - "Compton" (produced by will.i.am)
Nas - "Hip-Hop Is Dead" (Snippet)

Black Ty is here. Be very very afraid.

According to the Press Release:

Tyrese shines as rapper Black Ty, which comes naturally since he once was a member of the rap group Triple Impact prior to the success of his solo singing career. Manni Fresh, Scott Storch, All Star and various members from the Frontline Boyz add their production skills on the hip-hop disc which will also feature guest appearances by The Game, Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, Too Short, David Banner, Method Man, Lil Scrappy and Manni Fresh.

Some people live in their dreams, others die in their nightmare.

-I've been bumping the beejezles out of Amerie's Mixtape lately. Get it while it's hot.

-Miss our weekly contest? Well, head over to HRS for an opportunity to win their Sleepy Brown Contest

-A DMX is to traffic violations, so is Snoop Dogg to airport arrests.

-Guess who else got arrested today? ALC and Ballerina P

-Proof's killer sentenced and fined.

-Not that me and Ian have ever agreed on anything, but I must be the only not feeling Fabo's "Walk in New York"

-If you live in the U.S., you should probably read this before joining a torrent site.

-Jay-Z, Beyonce nominated for Vh1's Big in 06 Awards.

-Jermaine, save us the headache, everyone knows your black ass got fired.

Dame Dash + Jim Jones - Kingdom Done (Jay-Z Diss) (Radio)
...And when you called me and said "Come back and listen to my album." I said "Absolutely, I always wanna know what's going on with you my n***a." And when you played that f*ckin sh*t it felt like drugs...

It was written.

Consequence - Callin' Me
This is the rumored first single from Cons' Don't Quit Your Day Job debut.

Lupe Fiasco - Dedicated
Outtake from F & L...I think

Mobb Deep ft. 50 Cent - Look Out
Is Ballerina P really serious about taking a bullet for Boo Boo? But cot damn, that beat's got the flu.

Stat Quo - Get Low (produced by Dr. Dre)
Taken from Eminem Presents: The Re-Up. Em premiered this on Sirius yesterday.

Jay-Z - Lost Ones (mp3)
You would've had this earlier if I didn't spend the entire night trying to login to blogger. Anyhoo, I kinda dig "Lost Ones" even though it sounds familiar. Notice how the flow changes on every verse. Hov, keep that up and you just might have a solid LP on your hands.

"I heard mu'f*ckers saying they made Hov/Made Hov say "Ok, so make another Hov" Ni**as wasn't playing they day role/ So we parted ways like Ben and J-Lo...I ain't a bitch but I gotta divorce them...You lost one..."

Expect Dame to hold a press conference real soon. Since he's not a rapper, he'll probably recruit Cam to do the damage jump up and get beat down...again.

Alleged cover art for Nas' 2nd Lost Tapes installment

-I finally put down the PS2 to give y'all a 10-song [p]review of Snoop's forthcoming album Tha Blue Carpet Treatment.

-Diddy debuts at No. 1 with 176,000. The Game has the rest of this week's SoundScan.

-Eminem to announce a new Dr. Dre-produced track from The Re-Up. Apparently, "Produced by Dr. Dre" means a lot more these days.

-Jay-Z responds to Cam'ron in the December issue of XXL. Or so says the grapevine.

-Despite all those platinum-selling posthumous releases, Pac is nowhere to be found on Forbes' Top-Earning Dead Celebrities list.

-Pitbull says Cocaine Cowboys is better than Scarface. Check out the interesting promo videos featuring Trick Daddy.

-Jay-Z is No.2 "Man of the Year" for 2006, if you're into that sort of thing.

-New interview with AZ who I'm also rooting for this quarter, even though he'll probably sell below 500 copies the first week.

The Game - Soundscan [Lloyd Banks - 48,000]
The Game runs through this week's SoundScan figures, mispronouncing Evanescence on the way, before butchering Jay-Z's "Kingdom Come" beat over some sh*t that you probably don't give a flying f*ck about. Lloyd Banks jacked his logo from po-po, really? Still, I had to laugh at this G-Unit dissfest.

Your boss sings songs/Only R&B n***as with bling on...Me & Dipset seem to be the only muthaf**kas BAAALLLINNN!

Track List
01 RZA - RZA Meets Rizoh - 'The Rap Up' Intro
02 Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got
03 AZ - Show Me What You Got
04 AZ & Rakim - The Format (DJ Dub Floyd Screamixx)
05 Black Thought of The Roots - Don't Say Nuthin' (Hurricane Blend)
06 Mos Def - Undeniable
07 Papoose & Harold Melvin - Wake Up Everybody
08 The Game & 50 Cent - Hate It or Love It (DJ RefleX Blend)
09 2pac, T.I. & Ashanti - Pac's Life
10 Eazy-E - Hittin' Switches (Hurricane Blend)
11 50 Cent - What Up Gangsta (Hurricane Blend)
12 Eminem, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks & Cashis - You Don't Know
13 Proof - Girls Wit Da Boom (Hurricane Blend)
14 Jay-Z, Kanye West, Young Chris & The Temptations - Baby Girl (Hurricane Mix)
15 Busta Rhymes, Kelis, will.i.am, Styles P & Rashad - Love My Bitch b-w Favorite Drug (Hurricane Double Blend)
16 Jadakiss - T.R.O.Y. (Reminisce)
17 Pharoahe Monch, Showtyme, Mela Machinko & Tower of Power - Push
18 Joe Budden - Broken Wings
19 Xzibit - Thank You
20 Jay-Z & Pharrell - Allure (Hurricane Blend)
21 AZ - Never Change (Hurricane Blend)
22 Hi-Tek, J Dilla, Nas, Common, Busta Rhymes & Marsha of Floetry - Music For Life
23 2pac & Rick James - My Block (Hurricane Blend) - Outro

The Rap Up Mixtape

You're welcome.

So, I head over to Snoop's listening sesion for Blue Carpet Treatment at Club Touche, and all kinds of videos start dropping like confetti. Scrazy. Move over YouTube, Smash Tube is where it's at right now.

Another Video to Check 4:
-The Game - "Let's Ride" (Strip Club) | Download Link

How will the hip-hop community respond to this guy?

*Sighs* Slow news day.

According to the official Blacksmith website, Kweli's Ear Drum LP has been pushed back to 2007.

-I know we've discussed this before, but I still don't believe it. Judging by the ephemeral life span of celeb-relationships, it'll only be a matter of time before Jermaine starts looking back in regret.

-Photos of Steve Irwin in his final moments. Meanwhile, Ras Kass has been catching some flack for that ignorant Stingray metaphor.

-Music critic Robert Christgau, who got fired by Village Voice last month, finds new home at NPR.

-I like this new UGK single better than "Like That."

-Busta Rhymes due in court today for allegedly beating up a kid.

-Some more pictorials from this year's Vh1 Hip-Hop Honors.

-More on the Making of Kingdom Come: Dr. Dre sends Jay-Z 25 beats out of nowhere.

-R.I.P. Lebo Mathosa

(K-Fed pic via Dlisted.com)

Tracklist
1 - Mick Boogie - Superman Returns Intro
2 - Jay-Z - Hov Is Back (produced by The Kickdrums)
3 - Jay-Z - Kingdom Come
4 - Jay-Z Speaks On Coming Out Of Retirement
5 - Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got [produced by Just Blaze]
6 - Jay-Z & Biggie - Whatchu Want
7 - Jay-Z - Dear Summer
8 - Jay-Z & Lupe Fiasco - Pressure
9 - Jay-Z Speaks On Being The President
10 - Jay-Z - Show You How To Hustle (Mick Boogie Mix)
11 - Jay-Z & Lupe Fiasco - Sittin’ Sidewayz
12 - Jay-Z & Biggie - The Commission (Mick Boogie Mix)
13 - Jay-Z, Jeezy & UGK - Get Throwed
14 - Jay-Z - 44 4’s
15 - Jay-Z - PSA (Just Blaze remix)
16 - Jay-Z Speaks On Hip-Hop
17 - Jay-Z & Kanye West - Diamonds remix
18 - Jay-Z & Young Jeezy - Go Crazy
19 - Jay-Z & Angelous - Brooklyn (Mick Boogie mix)
20 - Jay-Z Speaks On Success
21 - Jay-Z - Allure (remix)
22 - Jay-Z, Ray Cash & Scarface - Bumpin’ My Music (Mick Boogie mix)
23 - Jay-Z & Beyonce - Upgrade You
24 - Jay-Z & Beyonce - Dejà Vu (remix)
25 - Jay-Z, Mary J Blige & T.I. - Turn Your Lights Down Low
26 - Jay-Z & Pharrell - Young Girl
27 - Jay-Z feat. Nas & Chris Martin/Coldplay - Dead Presidents Live
28 - Jay-Z - Dec 4th (J.U.S.T.I.C.E League remix)

Mick Boogie Presents: Superman Returns [Buy it from MixtapeUSA]
(Courtesy of Hurricane Ivan - The Rap Up's official DJ/Mix Master)

Bonus Cut
Jay-Z - "Show Me What You Got" (Remix) featuring DJ Chops
Could someone please email Sir Hova Chops' phone number. This remix is fun, fast, and feisty, with such hacking grace. Plus, Chops rips Just Blaze a mean one (something about beat biting) on his verse.

I rest my case.

Related Posts
Video: Jay-Z - Show Me What You Got
Shots Fired: Jim Jones vs. Jay-Z

Labels: Mick Boogie, Mixtapes

To: Ivan, who hates me for "messing up" his Full Circle review.

Seriously, I thought Xzibit had an opportunity to make a damn-near classic LP, an opportunity he inadvertently tossed in the bin. I could slap "The Whole World," "Thank You" and "Family Values" on repeat all day. I even dig "Moving in Your Chucks" and "Rampart Division" a bit. Still, Full Circle is hackneyed as fuck.

"Concentrate"? Jelly Roll and his Anthony Hamilton impressions? "On Bail"? I guess when you have a lineup that reads: Game, Daz , T-Pain, and Xzibit on the same song, you should lower expectations with the quickness.

At the rate people are having "surprise" birthday parties these days, I wonder if the element of surprise still exists. I bet you Snoop woke up on his birthday like "Yeah, what time does my surprise birthday party start?" Snoop just turned 35.













Snoop's Cheerleaders












Snoop + Gabrielle Union -- Snoop + Warren G












Nick Cannon -- Snoop + Wifey












Noelle -- Ice Cube + Wifey












(L - R) Snoop, Jimmy Iovine, Will.i.am

Ras Kass - Gayme Over (Game Diss #2) (mp3)

My boy Esbee first hipped me to this diss in the comment section. I was ready to pass, as it's becoming obvious that Ras is mainly taking advantage of the publicity to promote his new mixtape, Eat or Die.

Weeelll, since my homegirl Nancy (of OGPR) hit me up with the odeo which she appropriately describes as "Rass Kass' scathing rebuttal to Game," I decided it's probably worth posting. Turns out this is Raw Ras Kass. Not "Ether" status, but definitely more vilifying than "Hush, Baby."

Is this the first time anyone has released a diss song along with a customized album art?

Snoop with Captain Morgan & the Ladies

























Vibe Honors Cast/Producers of "Girlfriends"


















































Diddy's Black Party





























































Andre 3000 at the "Class of 3000" premiere












Deelishis (from VH1's Flavor of Love)












Not that anyone's interested in seeing Flava Flav's new squeeze butt-naked. But if you are, then you'll probably find these photos Deelishis. (props to D-Syfa for the tip off.)