Throw Some D's Remix (mp3)
Rich Boy featuring Andre 3000, The Game, Jim Jones, & Murphy Lee
It was cool until Jimmy's voice came on.

Nas - Where Are They Now (90's Remix)
Featuring Redhead Kingpin, The Original Spinderella, Rob Base, Father MC, Monie Love, Mike G (of the Jungle Brothers), EST (of 3XDope), Positive K, Das EFX, Lords of the Underground, Dres (of Black Sheep)

(Major props to Team OnSmash)

As ill as the song is, this video reinforces the same stereotype it's trying to combat. Comical nonetheless.

Black Milk: Mixtapes ain't dead!

Black Milk reminds me of J Dilla for reasons other than the fact that he mans the boards as well as he does the mic. Let's just say I can spot a Dilla disciple from a million miles.

Anyhow, his forthcoming debut Popular Demand (slated for 3/13) has been in constant rotation round here for the past 2 weeks or so. Pressure is a 19-song audiography of his beatsmithery. So, get familiar.

Download: Black Milk - Pressure | Link 2

-The Game on how he fingerbanged Vida Guerra. Someone snatch his doo-rag with the quickness.

-Rappers on TV this week.

-The rise of the Afro hipster.

-Jermaine wants to buy Michael Jackson a kufi.

-Will Smith honored at Santa Barbara film festival. By the way, I finally had a chance to see "Pursuit of Happyness" last night. A must-watch for all.

-Brandy may face charges for vehicular manslaughter.

-Jay-Z to release the worst song on Kingdom Come as his next single.

-Is Kanye West a beat jacker?

-Jay-Z stalker wants to snatch Beyonce's weave.

-DJ Star blacklisted in New York.

Video: Tru Life lets fans pose with Dipset chains. Comic relief to say the least.

-Cover art for Rich Boy's self-titled debut.

-GooTube to give users money for shaking their tailfeather over the latest Beyonce instrumental.

-B.B. King released from hospital.

-Too hip to be considered hip-hop?

-For those of you wondering what Little Brother will sound like without 9th Wonder, go check out their latest joint and another banger from Jazzy Jeff's new EP, Return of the Magnificent

-Who's going to carry the hip-hop torch in 2007?

-And the hip-hop vote for 2008 goes to...

-Hip-hop and hot wings: a winning combination any day.

-Video: Paris Hilton in bed with a friend. It's one of the videos she recently leaked to keep her buzz alive (GTFOH with that "she forgot to pay $208 to a storage facility" bullsh*t). (NSFW)

Those rumors are true after all. Little Brother is now down to a 2-man group, and their next album The Getback will only feature one beat by 9th:

"Little Brother has decided, in the best interest of the group, for Little Brother and 9th Wonder to part ways. There are no hard feelings and no beef. This is just a decision that had to be made so all three of us could move forward and continue to provide the world with dope music."
(via: HHG)

Little Brother is also in the process of negotiating a release from Atlantic Records. I will never understand why they signed to a major in the first place.

Is LB better off without 9th or will this break the group artistically?

Sundance Film Festival













>>Common












>>Jamie Foxx & Tracee Ellis Ross












>>Glora Reuben >>Chyna Layne












Consequence - "Don't Forget 'Em" video shoot












"Make It Rain (Remix)" Video Shoot













>>Trina












>>Scott Storch & Fat Joe >>T.I.

























Hop on over to Ozone for more pics from the "Make It Rain (Rmx)" video shoot.

Strike ft. Eminem & Dina Rae - Pale Moonlight (mp3)
You probably remember Lycety Split from Eminem's "8 Mile" movie. Lycety, who now raps under the alias Strike, is inked to a 3D (digital distribution deal) with InGrooves. This yawn-inducing joint is taken from his upcoming album.

Lil Wayne & Juelz Santana - Black Republicans (Hov Dis?)
I could think of 9 million reasons not to post this, but it's worth listening to. If only to remind us that this 'couple' can't hold a torch to Jay-Z on his worst day.

::Cover art for the Biggie Greatest Hits CD I told you about yesterday.

-My Top 10 Sentimental Rap Songs is now available for your viewage.

-Ice Cube remains relevant.

-Rocawear takes a stand on racism. Either that or they "just bought a model chick" and threw some D's on that chick.

-The King is back. (Pause) Now let's hear some hits.

-In case you forgot, Bush reminds you that he's the boss of all bosses.

-Brandy's fans calling for her arrest. In case you need a late pass on the story, Brandy accidentally "killed" a 38-year old woman last year.

-Rappers, y'all ain't really caking like that.

-Can't make this up.

>>>Mick Boogie f/ Little Brother & BlackStar - Let It Go
I heard 9th Wonder saying he made Tay/ Made Tay say 'Ok, so make another Tay.' Just kidding y'all. Is 9th still in LB?

>>>>Joel Ortiz - "Hip-Hop"
Of all the 579 similarly-titled rap songs, this one's a sure-shot.

>>Khaled f/ Akon, T.I., Rick Ross - We Taking Over
Not the most alluring lineup, so don't expect your every need to be met here. (via Milk Was a Bad Choice)

>>Young Buck - Get Buck
When the snake on the ground with his nine on the line, with the n***az who grind with King Kong hittin’ Thailand, give it here...You get the point.

>>>Snowgoons ft. Reef - Never
Ambient paranoia with a little bit of rap.

Let's hear your thoughts on these songs. Which ones are you feeling? Which ones do you need a refund on your 3 minutes for?

(Don't sleep on Rizoh's Radio >>>to your right)

The Notorious B.I.G. - Greatest Hits Tracklist:

1. "Juicy"
2. "Big Poppa"
3. "Hypnotized"
4. "One More Chance (Remix)"
5. "Get Money"
6. "Warning"
7. "Dead Wrong"
8. "Who Shot Ya"
9. "Ten Crack Commandments"
10. "Notorious Thugs"
11. "Notorious"
12. "Nasty Girl"(why?)
13. "Unbelievable"
14. "Ni**az Bleed"
15. "Runnin Ya Mouth" (unreleased)
16. "Want That Old Thing Back" (unreleased)
17. "F*cking You Tonight"

How can you possibly wriggle a "Greatest Hits" compilation from 2 1/2 albums? In any case, B.I.G. afficionados already own these tracks...yeah, even the so-called unreleased gems.

Biggie's Greatest Hits is slated for March 3, 2007.

(Official Tracklist courtesy of Bad Boy)

Does that say "Jay Z" on his left arm? j/k. Really though, what's the whole shirtless thing?

Oh yeah, this thing drops on March 20th.

Melle Mel's new single, "M3 (The New Message)" (Jacked from OKP)


-BET kicks off Black History Month with Hip-Hop History Weekend.

-MP3 of the Day Diego Redd - Turn Out (produced by Needlez) (Props to Andrew)

-James Brown honored...with 10,000 shoes.

-Check out Discobelle's Disco D audio tribute.

-Speaking of which, DJ Warrior was one of the last folks to talk to Disco D prior to the suicide. My interview with Warrior is now on About.

-Promoting diplomacy through hip-hop.

-Snoop cops a plea.

-A new Wu-Tang album titled The 8 Diagrams arrives this summer.

-Someone please explain this madness to me.

-JT & Wassalu split the cover of Rap Fanatic

-DJ Warrior reacts to Disco D's death.

-Info on Sha Money XL's producers conference, featuring DJ Premier, Swizz Beatz, Hi-Tek, Havoc, etc.

-MLK's daughter, Bernice King, knocks hip-hop for violence and misogyny.

-Brandy causes fatal car crash.

-As IllRoots points out, Mixunit.com now allows free streaming of mixtapes on their site.

-Pics of Kanye West's Manhattan apartment in its early construction stages.

-Beyond beats and rhymes: Hip-hop and black masculinity.

-Jamie Foxx makes some Sirius moves.

-Rawkus goes foreign.

-DJ Drama and Don Cannon's court date has been postponed.

-Gay rapper takes on 50 Cent.

-No such thing as race.

-Gone but not forgotten: Carlos Lezama

I keed! I keed!! But seriously, how the hell did he earn that 'Freestyle King' moniker?

Still trying to wrap my head around this bizarre news: sound architect Disco D reportedly committed suicide Monday night:

Details regarding his death are still sketchy, but sources close to Disco D told BallerStatus.com that he had recently divorced from his Brazilian wife and was having a hard time coping with the split.

The producer had over 10 years of experience in the music industry beginning his career in the dance scene in Detroit, Michigan.

In 2005, he produced the track "Ski Mask Way" for 50 Cent's Massacre album, which put him on the hip-hop map.(Ballerstatus)

May God bless his soul, and grant his family the fortitude to pull through this inexplicable tragedy.

Ciara: Sucker for covers

-Poll: Who will get the hip-hop vote in 2008?

-The Game backs down from Africa, Canada.

-Common is getting a little too excited about this "Smokin' Aces" movie. I would too, if I had to chill with Alicia Keys all day.

-Man, what on earth happened to Lil' Kim?

-It was only a matter of time. Rapidshare comes under fire.

-Bloggers who criticize government may face prison. No comments.

-MP3 of the DayFreddie Foxxx (aka Bumpy Knuckles) - "Hard Ghetto" (Jacked from Spinemagazine.com)

-First it was Jay-Z, now Fall Out Boy have teamed up with Kanye West on their new album, Infinity on High.

-While the RIAA was asleep, Redman jacked Jay-Z's "Lost One" beat.

-Can't make this stuff up.

Raekwon & El Michels live in NYC.

El Michels ft. Raekwon - The PJs...from Afar (mp3)
A deftly intertwined combo of vintage Wunometrics and nostalgic rhymes.
What's good with Cuban Linx II anyways?

(Cover by Vangogfx)

This is it.

Mixtapes = Hip-Hop. No mixtapes, no hip-hop.

Well, it's not quite as conclusive as that, but it's pretty f**kin' close. The top selling rappers in the world attained their breakthrough via the mixtape circuit.

We all know 50 Cent's story: Shortly after he was ditched by Columbia, 50 flooded the streets with mixtapes. A bidding war ensued, and he eventually signed a $1 million contract with Em & Dre.

Chamillionaire is known to the world as the "Mixtape Messiah." He can no longer reach his ambition of dishing out 26 more Mixtape Messiah installments as promised.

Papoose, Saigon, Crooked I, and Joe Budden--some of the fledgling wordsmiths expected to shoulder the weight of hip-hop in years to come--gained notoriety through mixtape collaborations with Kay Slay, Whoo Kid, Clue and others. They would still be wannabe rappers today, if not for those mixtapes.

What will become of the Justo Mixtape Awards, which was designed to applaud the efforts of mixtape artists and DJs and also gave us a forum with which to celebrate Justo Faison's legacy?

How will the Clipse, Joe Budden, Ras Kass, and other artists whose albums are in limbo over some b.s. label politics, afford to feed their families...without mixtapes?

What about the artistry and structural leeway that mixtapes bring to the table? If Jimmy Iovine came short of convincing Game to knife a 9-minute gem in half, how will he react to a 12-minute long, 300-bar heavy track?

The sad thing is that rappers don't have many options here: either slave harder to make your albums worth copping, and pump more money back into the pocket of the corporate guerillas OR legitimately release those mix CDs via labels and still pump more money back in the pocket of corporate guerillas. It's the reinforcement of musical neo-colonialism as we know it.

Now, how we handle the situation will also determine we're headed from here on: do we wild out and throw pebbles at the RIAA's nose; or do we back down and attempt to reach a reasonable compromise? Honestly, neither is a healthy option.

The promotional wheels have been removed. The lane has been altered.

Unfortunately, this is our burden; hip-hop accounts for a good portion of the blame in this cultural intrusion. Let's be serious, it has nary a thing to do with racketeering, or the so-called adverse effect of piracy on sales, or the gazillion ounces of cocaina they expected to find at the AMG office. Sure, Drama and co have been victimized--he was the #1 DJ of 2006 for godssakes--but in the long run they're atoning for the sins of others. We're merely paying the price for commercializing our own culture.

The price of our gain = our loss of freedom.

Sean Price f/ Block McCloud - Mess You Made
(Hope you enjoyed it while it lasted)

This is Sean Pee minus the "punch your neighbor in the face 'cause he stylin' on you" belligerence displayed on "P-Body." The best part is that this is an album copy--no smoked-out promo announcer constantly reminding you that you've just stolen "Sean Price Jesus Price Supastar Copy No.33."

One of the most consistent albums I've heard all year. The year is only 3 weeks old, so what...sue me.

Tracklist.

Labels: Album Cover, Devin the Dude

Wu-Tang - Da W (Remix)
This bowl of cherries is taken from the forthcoming Nature Sounds compilation Mathematics Presents: Wu-Tang & Friends Unreleased , due out on March 6th.

What we have here is the prelude to that long-anticipated Wu reunion. I have nothing short of respect and admiration for the Clan, but is it really necessary to coerce 8 rappers who're currently unaligned into a theatrical reunion? When will folks learn that it's best to leave while the ovation is still loud?

Peekaboo: LL fancies Vanessa Minnillo's undies at a recent TRL taping.

-DJ Drama and Don Cannon released from jail.

-Meanwhile, Lil' Wayne responds to Drama's RIAA bust.

-MP3 of the Day: Davey D and others discuss the evolution of hip-hop radio. Here's the one where they discuss Payola. (Thanks, Ernesto)

-Timbaland (of all people) entangled in beat theft allegation.

-Live review of Snoop Dogg's Edmonton concert.

-Looks like T.I. is ready to get his grown man on with his pregnant girlfriend.

-Murdercap Records files a $900 million lawsuit against Condoleezza Rice and other government officials in both US and Canada.

-Regina King aka "the voice of Huey and Riley" is single again>

-Smack DVD Vol 12: Info and download links.

-Foxy Brown finally gets something right.

KRS-One - Nas Tribute (HHG rip)
Nas honored Rakim with a tribute track on Street's Disciple, and promised to make a similarly-themed track for KRS-One. KRS-One beat Nas to the punch by showering him with kudos on this song.

But what's this I'm hearing about a potential Nas/Jada beef? Did he mean to say Nas and Jeezy, or Nas and 'Cris?

Happy 65th birthday to 'The Champ'

-Rocawear responds to the Jay-Z faux-fur scandal.

-Where Are They Now: Tech N9ne

-Jacob the Jeweler clamors for support, as his court date draws near.

-Diddy shops new talent for Making The Band IV.

-Two dead in strip club shooting. Surprised they didn't blame it on rap.

-Free DJ Drama & Don Cannon. That was quick.

-Debut cover for the newly relaunched XXL Presents: Scratch

-Rest in Peace: Alice Coltrane

This just in...RIAA conducted a raid at DJ Drama's Gangsta Grillz office in downtown Atlanta today. DJ Drama and DJ Cannon, along with 15 others, were arrested:

A metro law enforcement task force raided a downtown Atlanta recording studio Tuesday night. Investigators say they confiscated tens of thousands of bootleg cd's made for sale on the internet. Click video for more information. (Video)

It's a sad day in hip-hop when being a DJ becomes illegal, while the real culprits are still out there wreaking more havoc to society.

(Props to Young Legend for the info)

Chamillionaire feat. Kelis - Not A Criminal (mp3)
Official first single from Koopa's soph disc, Ultimate Victory, due out on 3/27.

Hit or miss?

Update: Stop the guessing. "Not A Criminal" was produced by Australian newcomer Styalz Fuego of the Affinity Music Group. Take that, Scott.

MLK - I Have A Dream (Hurricane Ivan's BE mix)
Martin Luther King Jr. - I Have a Dream Speech (mp3)

MLK epitomized the celebration of human worth and the conquest of helotry. He gave hope to the dejected and a sense of dignity to the proletariat. King's doctrine of irenic direct action and his use of speech as a peace purveyor electrified the hearts of many. His rational approach to conflict-resolution walked hand-in-hand with his commitment to political activism.

Today, as we commemorate the immense contributions of Dr. King towards the fight for racial equality and social change, let's remember that his dream was not for us to be walking it out and guzzling bottles of Armand de Brignac while societal ills linger.

Trae ft. Styles P - Smile (Taken from Tha Truth Show mixtape)
Trae quietly dropped Restless last year. The album was enjoyable, engaging, and exhilarating at the same time. Numerous ingratiating elements made it a funfare of interest to general audiences as well as southern rap aficionados. Simply put, it was the best southern rap album of 2006.

This collabo with SP reminds me of the songs that made Restless tick.

(Props to Enigmatik for making my job easier.)

Indeed, beef has evolved. Thanks to Tru Life and Jim Jones.

Rappers, you now need more than slick punchlines to win battles in this era of nerdy stanisms and innanet amelioration. Sleep on the digital revolution at your own risk. While you're at it, keep in mind that images of The Game as a stripper, Diddy giving it to a man, The Game as a wig-rockin' homo thug, disgruntled ex-Roc-a-Fella employees as the Benchwarmers (below), among other landmark photo[shop] moments will grace hip-hop history books for a long time.

The damage is permanent.

F*ck what you heard, says Mr. West. Well, not exactly in those terms. But Kanye has debunked earlier reports that he had signed on for a reality show. In an email fired off to The Rap Up office this afternoon, West confirmed (through a Def Jam rep) that he's in the incipient stages of production on a TV series currently being developed with Larry Charles and Rick Rubin.

"I wouldn’t do something as cliché as a reality show,” said West. “At least give me the credit for being more creative than that.”

“For the last couple of years, Larry, Rick and I have been developing this pilot. It’s a situational half-hour comedy. It’s fictional, and loosely based on my life. Maybe this will give me the opportunity to spazz out at the Emmys one day."

If the chip on Ye's shoulder was any bigger he'd be a lumberjack

?uestlove: Oh you mad cause I'm stylin' on you...
(Via Boo Goo Doo Boom)

-Hip-hop don't roll with gay people. So says gay rapper Cazwell.

-Photos from The Game's "Wouldn't Get Far" video shoot, featuring some of the vid-vixens he dissed on the song.

-Two-6-Mafia explain Crunchy Black's absence, and insist nothing's changed since their surprise Oscar win.

-I was going to comment on MTV's "I'm From Rolling Stone" but O-dub already echoed my thoughts. Take it from the guru himself; he's been around long enough to discern a good music journalism-hinged media pitch from a horrific one.

-Speaking of MTV, their President/COO Michael Wolf has left the building.

-Audio: Cam'ron and Kay Slay declare war on indie giants Koch. Kay Slay: "That $7-8 per record sh*t is a f*ckin scandal."


-Google to become friends with Friendster. Somewhere in Dallas TX, Mark Cuban just dropped his coffee mug.

-Terrorists attack US embassy in Athens.

-There's a golden shower at the end.

-I've been bumping this J Dilla audiography all day.

-Audio: Artie (previously of Wendy Williams experience) suggests that the 7-yr old girl who was raped by a 40-yr old crackhead may have been a whore. Yet another shock jock, just what the world needs.

-Don't sleep on my Hip-Hop Timeline.

-It's uplifting to see Houston's #1 Grill duo Johnny Dang and Paul Wall getting involved with this whole anti-conflict diamond media frenzy. Funny thing is, when I interviewed Mr. Dang for ENVY magazine last year, he had no inkling of a clue as to what "blood diamond" entailed. I chalked it up to ignorance back then. His partner Paul Wall also disclosed that he had never heard of Sierra Leone prior to that Kanye West song. Nothing wrong with trying to find out though.

What's with the bad teeth? (Hey, this looks familiar.)

On a related note, The Source is in need of interns for their editorial, online, advertising, fashion, marketing, and admin departments. That's if you're not too skeptical about the idea of sending your resume to bum915@tmail.com. I don't know that there's any tangible compensation for weed carrier position at urban publications, but you should look on the bright side. Go in there with hopes that the new Source board hasn't wiped out that free flowing supply of weed and porn we all heard about.

From a guy who mostly rhymes about the size and shape of his jewelry, this here is a goldmine.

Koopa on the set of Two-6-Mafia's "Doe Boy Fresh"

-Video: ABC's Chief White House Correspondent Martha Raddatz busted for "Ridin' Dirty."

-Breaking News: Marketers no longer rely on hip-hop to attract Black consumers.

-Eskay, who's rumored to be the new XXLMag.com Editor, sits down with Cormega to discuss his post-Firm ups and downs.

-A couple of nignorant fellas have chosen to honor James Brown by shooting each other. Can't we all just get along?

-T.R.U. reader Raj was kind enough to send me this high quality version of that Make It Rain (Remix) I posted a couple days ago. The package contains a radio cut and a dirty version.

-From the world renown duo Rafi Kam and Dallas Penn comes this hilariously irresistible short film BODEGA. Why am I suddenly hugry for pork rinds?

-Tracklisting for Wu-Tang & Friends, due out February 6.

-Smoking Section chats up Sean Price

-Kanye signs up for a reality show on HBO. I'm sure it's a coincidence that his third LP, Graduation, is also slated for release this year.

-Only in America.

-In case you haven't already noticed, the Radio to your right has been upgraded and updated with new J Dilla, Canibus, and Soulbrotha mp3s.

Video: Tha Dogg Pound - "Dogg Chit (1 in 1 Out)"

-Happy 60th birthday to Afeni Shakur

-2006 was the hottest on record in the U.S.

-According to Ras Kass' publicist, this open letter to Capitol Records was not intended for the public. It was rather leaked to the web by one of Ras' associates.

-Erstwhile Birdman weed carrier B.G. launches a new rap group. SMH at the mention of "B.G." and "legend" in the same sentence. Never mind, that's the title of BG's 2003 album.

-Hip-hop scholars push for recognition.

-Hip-Hop Weekly goes national.

-MP3: Joe Budden - "Unforgiven"

-March XXL cover.

-Speaking of Mos Def's Tru3 Magic... (Props to Makkada Selah for the quotational shoutout in the article.)

(A Special apology to those who're yet to receive their prizes from last month's contest. In between Christmas and New Year is usually the worst period in the snail mail department. I'm told your packages are already on the way.)

Well, it's only a teaser version of the full video.

Just when you thought the world had forgotten about Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor But is it too little too late?

After reading Lauren Carter's Boston Herald article on the unprofessionalism displayed by Stat Quo during an interview, I'm forced to reevaluate my own awkward experience with another Shady rapper.

A few weeks ago I interviewed three artists involved in Eminem's new mix CD, "The Re-Up": Obie Trice, the Alchemist and Atlanta native Stat Quo. It was a group interview, with each of them phoning in from different parts of the country.

When I directed questions to Obie and Alchemist - who stayed mostly quiet during Stat's outbursts, occasionally laughing - Stat would chime in with vulgarities, such as informing me that Alchemist was defecating while on the phone with me.

When I hung up the phone, I felt cold. The more time that passed, the more uneasy I became. I wondered what, if anything, I should have done differently. I wondered how many other female journalists have been treated the same way. I wondered if I should just let it slide and chalk it up to interviewing rappers. Because, really, what's the record label going to do about Stat Quo sexually harassing a writer over the phone? Slap him on the wrist? Or high- five him?

According to Nobodysmiling.com, Stat Quo went on to inquire about the possibility of phone sex with Carter.

Not to steal the centerstage from Miss Carter, but I think the Shady camp needs to consider hiring a Speech Coach. I only say that because Ms. Carter's experience calls to mind a weird encounter I had with a different Shady rapper last year.

It happened in the middle of a phoner. I had sensed that said emcee may have been using a "stand-in" for the interview. His defense was that he has "several voices." Not only did this guy's voice differ extensively from the real deal, his accent, charisma, vocab, tone, etc raised a red flag in my head. Still, I was like "Cool, I'm looking forward to meeting the real [rapper X]," to which he angrily quipped "Is that all you gotta say, n***a!" I'll save you the rest of my horrific encounter with said loser.

Point is, there's definitely a pattern here. This is clearly a reflection of the label's culture or lack of one. Then again, what do you expect from Em's weed carriers when their boss has a reputation for picking fights with hand-held puppets at award shows.

Afro Samurai. Here's Part 2 of Episode I.

Fat Joe - "Make It Rain (Rmx)" ft. Tip, Kells, Rick Rawls, Weezy & Baby (Props to DT who took the time to rip it from the GooTube video I posted earlier.)

-Preferential treatment for Busta Rhymes?

-Soundbite: Young Buck - Haters (produced by Dr. Dre)

-MP3: Jin + Donald Trump - "You're Fired" (Rosie Diss). The less said about this the better.

-Now they're trying to stick Oprah for her paper. I'm sure Fitty has a hand in this somehow.

-Jay-Z and GM Present: The Jay-Z Blue Yukon Denali.

-HHTV, a new all hip-hop all the time TV network, is looking for VJs. (Press Release)

-Audio: 50 Cent speaks on Jay-Z's album, The Game's album, etc.

-Samuel L Jackson stares in a movie called Black Snake Moan.

-This nignorant sh*t needs to stop. (Props to Sneek for the interview link.)

-HHNLive chats up DJ Ski, who produced some of the gems on Reasonable Doubt.

-Beyoncé to re-release B'Day with Spanish tracks.

-Hip-hop makes a splash in Spain

-100 Best Companies to work for in 2007.

-Nigo inks his name on one of mankind's greatest necessities.

Devin the Dude ft. Lil Wayne, Bun B, Tami Latrell, and Tony Mac - Little Girl Gone
The first comparison that comes to mind is "Black Girl Lost"...for a good reason. One of the best cuts on Waiting to Inhale. (Don't you just love those Wordofsouth folks?)

UGK ft. T.I. - Hit the Block (prod. by Swizz Beatz)
My only gripe here is Swizz Cheese. He scarfs a frenzied snare and barfs up a soundbed that rivals "Ring the Alarm" for farcicality.

Rob G ft. Keke & Slim Thug - Reppin' My Block (Rmx)
Fun, fast, and feisty.


(Jan. Ozone cover via: Randy)

In case you're not tired of poring over year end lists, here's a masterlist from the two-double-0-six:

General/Wrap-Up

• Poplicks: The 2006 Wrap-Up
  
  
• Idolator: 2006 Jackin' Pop Critics Poll
  
  
• The Fader: Listamania 2006
  
  
• Popmatters: Best Hip-Hop of 2006
  
  
• The Palms Out: Year-End Guide-2006
  

Albums & Mixtapes

• Exclaim!: Hip-Hop Year in Review
  
  
• Amazon.com: Editors Pick in Hip-Hop
  
  
• Format Mag: Top 10 Hip-Hop Mixtapes of 2006
  
  
• JHM: Top 60 Albums of '06
  
  
• Until the Train Stops: The Best 20 Albums of 2006
  
  
• Bloggers Poll: Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2006
  
  
• Slate: Albums You May Have Missed
  
  
• Noz: The Best Rap Albums You Didn't Hear in 2006
  
  
• IGIF: The Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2006
  
  
• The Onion: Least Essential Albums of 2006
  

Songs

• About.com: Top 106 Rap Songs of 2006
  
  
• About.com: Top 10 Most Annoying Songs of 2006
  
  
• Passion of the Weiss: 25 Best Hip-Hop Songs of 2006
  


• The Couch Sessions: Top 85 Songs of 2006

Feel free to add on to the list...

(Image © Ivan Rott /The Rap Up)