Video: The Roots catch a beatdown in the Netherlands.


-Good to see that Raekwon agrees with me on Jay's new album.

-Young RD put his pen to work and emerged with the best review of Hell Hath No Fury I've seen so far.

-50 Cent is almost ready to Self Destruct. I wonder if he'll be brave enough to respond to Hov's subliminal on "30 Something."

-H-Town's finest King Koopa plays hip-hop Santa.

-Winter Movie Preview:Yawn. I think I'll go see 'Blood Diamonds' at the $1 dollar movie.

-Ludacris meets with the man who could be your next president.


-Twisted Black sentenced to life in prison for drug conspiracy. Damn.

-Akon must be a very happy artist right now.

-Stones Throw sends The Fader a press release for J Dilla's Ruff Draft EP without the actual CD.

-UMG CEO Doug Morris throws himself a pity party, as Idolator puts it.
Funny, the same folks were suing YouTube on a daily basis, now they have a YouTube account. Industry people are shady.

Yeah, I know I'm late and everything, but this happens to be one of my favorite songs on Release Therapy.

The best part of the whole Access Granted thing was Jungle plugging his little album that will probably do K-Fed numbers if it ever sees the light of day.

Bonus: (Audio) Clips of Nas' Power 92 Interview:
-On Jay-Z
-On Carmen's book
-On Mobb Deep signing to G-Unit

Let's play "name that song" with the Tru3 Magic track list. If you look at the cover art long enough you'll see the entire list. I'll post a hi-res version of the cover after all the tunes have been correctly identified.

Play time is over, here's the full track list for Mos Def's Tru3 Magic:

1.)"Tru3 Magic"
2.)"Undeniable"
3.)"U R the One"
4.)"Thug Is A Drug"
5.)"Crime & Medicine"
6.)"A Ha"
7.)"Dollar Day" (surprise, surprise)
8.)"Napoleon Dynamite"
9.)"There Is A Way"
10.)"Sun, Moon, Stars"
11.)"Murder of A Teenage Life"
12.)"Fake Bonanza"
13.)"Perfect Timing"
14.)"Lifetime"

Tru3 Magic is slated for December 19. A copy of that other 12/19 rap release that looked like it wasn't coming out anytime this decade landed on my desk yesterday. Talk about "unapologetic hip-hop" sans a gazillion references to cocaina.

Nas feat. The Game - QB True G (Produced by Dr. Dre)( Clean) (Dirty)
More evidence that Hip-Hop Is Dead is our last hope left for an exceptional rap album this quarter.

UPDATE: Contrary to earlier reports, "Hustlers" (aka QB True G's) will be on the final version of Hip-Hop Is Dead. A Def Jam insider confirmed this to me earlier today. According to my source, the track was renamed after Marsha Ambrosius was brought in to deliver the chorus.

-Kanye West does not care about bi-racial people.

-Seeing as 50 Cent has taken a break from rap, Irv Gotti is going to try and resurrect The Inc with the help of Vanessa Carlton and Ja Rule.

-Is Little Brother breaking up?

-LL Cool J comes close to saying "F*ck Jay-Z"

-Gaddafi is way more 'gangsta' than Curtis. (I'm playing, of course...)

-Carmen says Nas wanted a threesome with Kelis.

-The indomitable Ian puts together a Hip-Hop is Dead special.

-Young Jeezy does something positive for the youth, possibly to compensate for all the cocaine rap lyrics.

The "official" track list for Hip-Hop Is Dead has changed for the upteenth time. I have no complaints this time, except that "QB True G's," the Dr Dre-produced collaboration with Game has mysteriously disappeared (is Fiddy really that powerful?) A few other tracks from the old list and the listening session were also x'd out and replaced with new joints.

Here we go again.

Nas - Hip-Hop is Dead Track List
1.)"Money Over Bullsh*t"
2.)"You Can't Kill Me"
3.)"Carry On Tradition"
4.)"Where Are They Now"
5.)"Hip Hop Is Dead"
6.)"Who Killed It?"
7.)"Black Republican"
8.)"Not Going Back"
9.)"Still Dreaming"
10.)"Hold Down The Block"
11.)"Blunt Ashes"
12.)"Let There Be Light"
13.)"Play On Playa"
14.)"Can't Forget About You"
15.)"Hustlers"
16.)"Hope"

I love Bun to death (no Mark Foley), but this story doesn't add up. Someone help me out here:

HHNLive: What's up with this whole "F*ck BET" campaign appearing on your Myspace page?
Bun B: I wasn't controlling that page at all up until 2 months ago. I have some control of it now but it's some kid that runs it. The campaign wasn't started by me. People think it's actually Bun B running the page but it's not. I've heard that sometimes the kid pretends to be me.

Bun went on to say "I'm a songwriter and I do my job and I'm not knockin' anyone for doing there's but these Internet sites need to fact check before they print bullshit...gotta be very careful and fact check".

HHNLive: What are your thoughts on Hip-Hop coverage online?

Bun: I love the blogs...it's people just tryin' to get their message out...just gotta get the facts right. (Full story: HHNLive.com)

Update: Some of you may have noticed that I pulled this story minutes after it was published. I had to. Out of the respect I have for Bun B and UGK. After receiving several emails from "reliable sources" I realized that there was plenty BS involved and someone must have been lying somewhere.

Anyhow, Bun B spoke to Eskay earlier today and denounced the anti-BET comments. More importantly, he has no recollection of the much-talked about interview with HHNLive.com.




(Image © Rizoh)

NYOIL - "What up My Wigger?"

-Video: 2Pac ft. Ashanti & T.I. - "Pac's Life" All the people 'Pac would shoot to death when he returns from Cuba.

-Video: Jay-Z performs "Show Me What You Got" at the AMAs

-I would hate to be an employee at Sony Urban right about now.

-Guess who's responsible for Michael Richards' racist rant?

-Sean Price is a "Black Republican".

-The Smoking Section interviews the Clipse.

-On a related note, Hell Hath No Fury gets a glowing review on OhWord.com

I caught this on Vh1 yesterday (my first time ever seeing a WWE show). I'm aware that artists have 'speech therapists' and whatnot that tell them what to say in interviews, but Game might be smarter than most people assume. Watch how he threads around Wendy Williams' bait when Dre's name comes up.

Now, you know this is a lie, but it's still hilarious: "Ron Artest sold more albums than Lloyd Banks."

Bonus Videos:
Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. DVD
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Despite being one of the most outstanding albums of 2006 (year-end lists coming soon), Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor has only managed to push past 200-thou in sales. Somehow, I still think he'll crack the Gold mark by March of '07.

Bonus Video: Jay-Z's Nov. 24th AOL/'H 2 the IzzO' concert.

UGK - Quit Hatin' the South (mp3) (via Wordofsouth.com)
It's on! I got love for both regions. So, you can find me in the middle somewhere chillin' with Lieberman.

Hey, don't look at me like that.

Bonus Cut:
UGK ft. Kool G Rap & Big Daddy Kane (produced by Marley Marl) (props: Spinemagazine.com)

(Image via Ian)

Happy Turkey Day!

The unconfirmed album cover for Hip-Hop Is Dead looks stunning.

Can you smell what the Ghost is cooking?

Official Track List
More Fish Preview

Here's to all you hip-hop historians: 10-link synopsis of this year's most interesting beef.

Cam'ron - "Wet Wipes" Video
Cam'ron draws first blood by featuring a Jay-Z lookalike (59-year old J.J. Evans for that matter) in his "Suck it or Not/Wet Wipes" video.

Cam'ron - You Gotta Love It
Cam strikes again. Jay-Z responds on the HP Commercial ("This game is over, I wonder if he knows.") Cam strikes again via Yung Joc's "It's Goin' Down (Remix)."

Jim Jones - "Alarm"
Jimmy picks up where Cam left off, after hearing that Jay-Z was about to come out of his fake retirement to try and resuscitate NY hip-hop.

Hov Is Home (Jay-Z interview w/Flex)
Jay announces on Funk Flex's that Jimmy is like the 9th guy on a team, the heckler.

Jay-Z - Funkmaster Flex Freestyle
Acknowledging Jones' presence was only the genesis of Jay's dilemma.

Dame Dash + Jim Jones - Kingdom Done
Apparently, Dame Dash wasn't too pleased with Jay's allegations on "Lost One."

Jay-Z - "Brooklyn High"
Like he did with Nas' "Got Yourself a Gun," Hov jacks Jim Jones' "We Fly High (Ballin')" beat and hands Jimmy his ass on a plate. Only this time he was going at a business savvy, success-hungry artist.

Jim Jones ft. Jay-Z & Juelz Santana - "We Fly High"(Beef Mix)/ Old-heads Remix
Capo takes advantage of Jay's generosity and gets himself some extra BDS.

Cam'ron - You Must Not Know
Cam attempts to finish what he started by dropping a dis on the same day Jay dropped Kingdom Come.

Jay-Z - "Dig a Hole"
Meanwhile, Kingdom Come features this solid response to Dipset and Dame Dash. Plus, the one line that would forever haunt Cam's career: "Only time you went plat my chain was on your neck."

Bonus Links:
-In this Staus Ain't Hood entry, Tom Breihan echoes my thoughts on the entire saga.
-Jim Jones - "We Fly High" (Chops Remix )

Speaking of Flavor Flav, the 3-part DVD of Flavor of Love II arrived on my desk yesterday. I haven't seen the entire thing yet, but from the little I watched, I can tell that it basically zooms in on the ni-gnorance of that show. (Unless you deem 30 hoodrats scrambling for a 60-year old man as pure entertaininment.)

Video: Kramer's racist tirade.

-Nas: "50 Cent f*cked up by letting The Game go."

-Speaking of Esco, you can catch him sharing the split-cover January/February issue of XXL with labelmate and trapstar Young Jeezy. (Oh, how I hate these double covers, seeing as I always wind up with the sorry one.)

-Complete list of winners from this year's Mainstream American Music Awards.

-The ever-on point Sacha Orenstein spotlights some Ill Sung Choruses.

-Word has it that Gerald Levert left a busload of unreleased material. That only means one thing: His label will probably 2Pac him to death.

-New and improved album cover for Styles P's Time Is Money, due out December 19.

-Download: Album version of Jay-Z's "44 4's"

-I wonder how The Game feels about NOT selling a million or even 500 thou the first week.

1.) "Ghost Is Back"
2.) "Miguel Sanchez "
3.) "Guns N' Razors "
4.) "Outta Town Sh*t "
5.) "Good"
6.) "Street Opera "
7.) "Block Rock "
8.) "Miss Info Celebrity Drama Skit "
9.) "Pokerface "
10.) "Greedy B*tches "
11.) "Josephine"
12.) "Grew Up Hard "
13.) "Blue Armor "
14.) "You Know I'm No Good "
15.) "Alex (Stolen Script) "
16.) "Gotta Hold On "
17.) "Back Like That"

Looks good and all, but why include "Back Like That" and "Josephine" on the new album? I've also seen the tracklist for Jeezy's The Inspiration. I have no interest in posting it.

Poose is hopelessly vibrant when he's not too busy trying to come across as lyrically dexterous.
(Spotted via Different Kitchen)

Related Link
10 Rappers to Watch in 2007

-DMX is for the kids.

-Mixtape Monday: Nas tap-dances around the subject of "Ether-ing" his mudslingers on Hip-Hop Is Dead.

-The Game denies impersonating a cop. Meanwhile, his business partner just got nabbed for money laundering.

-Nobodysmiling.com reviews the D.C. leg of Hov's Hangar Tour.

-Universal sues Myspace.com for copyright infringement.

-Talib Kweli's mindblowing V-Spot performance is a must watch.

-Idolator has one of the tracks from the Clipse's underwhelming album Hell Hath No Fury.

-Video: Gerald Levert's memorial service.

-R.I.P. to the great Ruth Brown. O-Dub has an excellent tribute up on SS.

-I saw the immutable 'Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan' last night with a group of friends. With the exception of that "Brokeback Mountain" scene, it was all kosher. Go see it.

Lupe Fiasco, Papoose & Styles P - The Cipher...Pt. 1 (mp3)
Lupe: Spins out of control with the esoteric storytelling.
Papoose: Tries too hard to sound smart.
Styles P: Kills it. Literally.

In case you missed it, here's the Video. (Part 2)

Bonus Cuts:
Common - I Have a Dream (mp3)
Taken from the soundtrack to the Hilary Swank-helmed movie "Freedom Writers."

DJ Clue ft. Kanye & Fabolous - "Like This" (source: spinemagazine.com)
Def Jam just discovered the impeccable chemistry between Fab and 'Ye, but is it still considered cool for rappers to reference Jacob the Jeweler in their rhymes?

Nas - "Where Are They Now" (radio rip) (props: Enigmatik)
Nas salutes his predecessors over Salaam Remi gritty soundscape.

I was discussing this issue with a friend the other day: how come "f**k" is almost always substituted for "love" in hip-hop lyrics? Is there a censorship stipulation that enforces this queer substitution or what?

Not that this should surprise anyone: MTV has created a special website exclusively for Jay-Z as we get closer and closer to the November 21 release of Kingdom Come:

• MTV.com today unveiled an unparalled JAY-Z fan site at jay-z.mtv.com. This JAY-Z “Video Vault Experience” offers users a comprehensive timeline of his career through footage from MTV’s archives including all of JAY-Z’s music videos, dozens of live performances, every MTV interview, including never-before-seen interviews, and more.
  
  
• Fans will be able to get updates and see performance clips from JAY-Z’s one-day “Hangar Tour” as it happens on November 18 on both MTV and online at MTV.com. Additionally, MTV will air a half-hour special at 2:00pm EST on November 19 featuring a tour recap and footage from MTV.com’s Video Vault Experience.
  
  
• “Diary of JAY-Z: Water for Life,” a documentary program examining the world’s water crisis, premieres on November 19 at 2:00pm EST on MTV2 and will air on MTV on November 24 at 9:00am EST.
  
  
• Fans can enter the “The Jay-Z Platinum Experience” contest at www.mtvjay-zplatinumexperience.com for a chance to live like a hip-hop superstar including a private helicopter trip to NYC, a private tour of the Island Def Jam offices, a personalized JAY-Z platinum album, NJ Nets tickets and more! Contest runs from November 18, 2006 through December 9, 2006.

Meanwhile...

Jay-Z - Hov 97 Interview with Mr. Cee
Let me reiterate that Jim Jones won this war, seeing as it was already a lose-lose situation for Jigga. The battle aspect is nonexistent--Jimmy is no match for Jay. Oly way Hov could have emerged victorious all-around was if he had continued to shrug off these non-rapping Dipshits. Jimmy realizes that no one will be checking for him six months from now, so he's milking this cow as much as possible.

Contrary to widespread reports that the BET Hip-Hop Awards was a complete disaster, Negro Network did way better than I expected. Besides the shabby Red Carpet and a few organizational glitches, it was an overall great experience.

I took these pictures with my Konica Minolta, so don't expect Getty Image quality.

BOOTZ!


















Cousin Jeff -- Grandmaster Flash, recipient "I Am Hip-Hop Award"










King Koopa









Mr. Janet Jackson









Ludameister -- Big Snoop Dogg









More pictures from the BET Hip-Hop Awards...

Jim Jones and Xzibit grace the split cover of The Source magazine

-Speaking of which, Jimmy plans to release a remix of "We Fly High (Ballin')" with Jay's verse on it. Hov lost. (Edit: Jim Jones ft. Juelz Santana - "We Fly High Beef Remix")

-You'll probably gain a better sense of appreciation for "Why You Hate the Game" after watching this video.

-Michael Jackson's ill-fated attempt at a comeback is met with boos and demands for tix refund.

-Allen Iverson pays for the funeral of man who died over his jersey.

-Biggie's Ready to Die and ATCQ's Low End Theory are among Time magazine's 100 Greatest Albums.

-"Black Republicans" (No Gomez brothers/No Big Mike) (via Ian)

-Is Jay-Z losing his edge?

-Dems and the Youth vote.

-I can't believe people are catching feelings over Luda's shirt.

-Let's talk about O.J. Simpson

I don't know which is more annoying, the well-worn adlibs or the banal metaphors.

Jay-Z - Brooklyn High (Jim Jones diss)
Hov finally fires back directly at Jimmy, as if those Kingdom Come subliminals haven't already done the damage.

You Joneses can't keep up/ Maybe my n***a Nas, but I got stronger after "Ether"

Oh, by the way, Kingdom Come drops next Tuesday.

(Thanks, Greeny)

You've probably heard by now: The Game is on pace to shift 400-450,000 copies of Doctor's Advocate. (No one believed his 1-million 1st week prediction anyway.) Perfect time for an interview. I'm schedule to have a chat with dude on Friday.

So, what do you want me to ask him?

If you've been following Cuban Linx you'll notice that Game has already been interviewed by damn near every media outlet out there. Which brings me to my next point: make your ?uestions as unique as possible. If you'd rather learn about Ras Kass or the Dre/Aftermath controversies or those other recurring issues, head on over to HHNLive.com, Smoking Section, Ballerstatus, etc, for Game's responses--he always gives the same ones.

Go ahead, let your questions roll...

Album art for UGK's self-titled double-album slated for December 19. Speaking of which, 12/19 is shaping up to be an interesting day: SP, Esco, now UGK.

"H-Town," a much-talked about song on UGK's new album features Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane on the mike, and Marley Marl on the boards. Now if that's not a reason to check for this bad boy, then I don't what is.

(Btw., a big F-U to all you name-slanderers trying your best to make Rizoh look bad. Besides Matt and a few other trill heads, I run H-Town hip-hop, and you no-name douche bags can't do sh*t about it but bitch and whine all day. Why else do you think they call me "H"?)

Pharoahe Monch - Desire (produced by Alchemist)
I'm assuming this is the title track from P-Monch's forthcoming album, due out in 2010. (spotted via Spinemagazine.com)

Nas - Blood Diamonds
"Blood Diamonds" is the theme song from Leonardo DiCaprio's gem-trade exposé, of the same title. Which explains why Nas has taken so long to finish HHID.

Clipse - Mama, I'm So Sorry
It's songs like these that make me forget about that suspicious "XXL" rating HHNF received last month.

Bonus Bites:
Joe Budden + Stack Bundles - Don't Stop (Get It)
Joey finally figured out how to get Def Jam to release his album before the next decade is over--make shitty club records.

Akon feat. Fat Joe, Chingy, Busta Rhymes - Smack That (Remix)
If you hate the original version of "Smack That" you'll hate it even more after listening to this.

Talib Kweli feat. J Sands - In the Mood
Kweli and Kanye reunite once more to give you a soulsonic experience. Taken from Ear Drum, slated for 1st quarter '07 release.

Hip-Hop Is Dead Track List
1.) "Don't Hate Me Now" (produced by Salaam Remi)
2.) "QB Tru G's" featuring The Game (produced by Dr. Dre)
3.) "Black Republican" featuring Jay-Z (produced by L.E.S.)
4.) "Where Y'all At" (produced by Salaam Remi)
5.) "Play on Playa" featuring Snoop Dogg (produced by Scott Storch)
6.) "Still Dreaming" featuring Kanye West & Chrisette Michelle (produced by Kanye West)
7.) "White Man's Paper" featuring Damien Marley (produced by Afrikan)
8.) "Blunt Ashes" (produced by Chris Webber)
9.) "Hip-Hop Is Dead" featuring will.i.am.(produced by will.i.am)
10.) "Where Are They Now" (produced by Nas and Salaam Remi)
11.) "Let There Be Light" featuring Tre Williams (produced by Kanye West)
12.) "Not Going Back" featuring Kelis (produced by Star Gate)
13.) "Can't Forget About You" featuring Chrisette Michelle (same chick on "Lost One")
14.) "Hold Down the Block" (produced by Mark Batson)

So, there you have it.

Related Link:
Hip-Hop Is Dead Preview

Official, final, slightly-improved album cover for Kingdom Come, due out Nov. 21

-Eskay has posted a better version of Nas and Jay's clash of the comets aka "Black Republicans" (lol at the title).

-I didn't see it happen, but I've heard that Lloyd Banks got knocked the f**k out by Game at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

-On today's episode of "Karma is a Bitch": Michael Jackson's child abuse accuser caught in welfare fraud.

-Speaking of Jacko, he's set to perform "Thriller" with Ne-Yo at the WMA tomorrow.

-Kelis Wardrobe Malfunction (Nas, watch your girl)

-The Listening: Fader previews Young Jeezy's The Inspiration, while Rodney Dugue previews Nas' Hip-Hop Is Dead

-Someone, please tell K-Fad to shut up and put out the sex tape already.

-Details on the 2006 Billboard Music Awards.

-Victoria Beckham doesn't trust Snoop with her husband. I guess she can't entertain the thought of seeing her man drag women on leashes.

-I don't know if anyone noticed but yesterday was the 2nd death anniversary of ODB.

-Pimp C speaks on the forthcoming UGK album, which features Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and Marley Marl on one song ("H-Town").

(Ed's Note: I apologize for the recent turn of sporadic posts. With the BET Hip-Hop Awards now behind me, your boy is back in full effect. Pics later.)

If you're still sleeping on Pimp C's "Knocking Doorz Down" then you're probably as region-racist as it gets. Despite the fact that I was at this video shoot, nothing on site that day indicated that it would turn out to be so ill. Good to see that they found a trill as plan-B for the absentee artists--Cham, Paul Wall, T.I.

(Thanks, Omar)

Nas feat. Jay-Z - Black Republicans
Radio rip. Poor quality. DJ's yelling "Gomez Brothers" all over it. But you waited 5+ years for this sh*t. So you're going to listen to it regardless.

Stay tuned for CD quality.

Thanks, Rodney. By the way, if you wanna know what Hip-Hop Is Dead sounds like, RD is your man. (Since Eskay went and got himself drowned in the Henny.)

Funk those Jay-Z and Snoop Dogg album leaks. DJ Premier is all you need right now.


















DJ Premier - No Talent Required Track List
1.) DJ Premier - Intro
2.) Tef - Pay Homage
3.) M.O.P. - Stop Pushin
4.) Royce The 5-9 - Ding
5.) Blaq Poet - Voices
6.) Planet Asia - On Your Way 93708
7.) Jay-Z - Lost One
8.) NYG'z feat. Rave Roulette - G'z & Hustlaz
9.) Termanology feat. Lil Fame & Papoose - Watch How It Go Down (Remix)
10.) Uncle Murder - Hood Rules
11.) ApplyJ. Dilla - Love JonesDefari - Peace & Gangsta
12.) 50 Cent feat. Hot Rod - I Got Hoes
13.) KRS-ONE - My Life
14.) Hi-Tek feat. Game & Dion - 1-800-HOMICIDE
15.) Ice Cube - Growing Up
16.) Brotha Lynch Hung & MC Eiht - Agent Double O Deuce & CPT
17.) Talib Kweli feat. UGK - Cuntry Cuzins
18.) Jay-Z - How Is Back (Mick Boogie Remix)
19.) The Game feat. Nas - Why You Hate The Game
DJ Premier - No Talent Required | Buy |






















Young Jeezy + DJ Drama - I Am The Street Dream Track List
1) Part 4
2) U Know What It Is (Feat. Shawty Red) [ALBUM EXCLUSIVE]
3) I Got What It Takes
4) J.E.E.Z.Y [ALBUM EXCLUSIVE]
5) I Do this
6) I’m Tellin’ Ya (Feat Roscoe Lil Pewee)
7) Sing Along
8) I Love It
9) Spaceships On Bankhead (w/ Fabo)
10) Keep It Movin
11) Jeezy Speaks
12) Child of God [Album Exclusive]
13) What It Is – (BloodRaw & Slick Pulla)
14) Grew Up A Screw Up (Feat Luda)
15) Let’s Just Say
16) I’m A G Too – (211 & Slick Pulla)
17) Don’t Ever Do That
18) Top Back Remix (Feat. Tip, BG, Young Dro, Big Kuntry)
19) All I Need
20) Get Right – (Slick Pulla)
21) Inspiration up Next
22) Who Got The Work

Young Jeezy + DJ Drama - I Am The Street Dream | Buy