All That Music & Video

Brother Ali performing “Good Lord” off of his album “Truth Is Here”.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Check out the new video for Eyedea & Abilities new video “Smile” from their latest album, “By The Throat”.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The first Clipse albums got serious FADER rotation, but especially Hell Hath No Fury, based on the brick-like density of tracks like “Ride Around Shining” and (from the Barbershop 2 soundtrack!) “Pussy”. Not that there were not the moments like “I’m Good” on either, but our expectations are ridiculously high and it felt initially too easy. But maybe it’s time to open our hearts and let a little Clipse shine in. Because really, it looks sweet to drive around in a black BMW convertible and have a pool party on the roof of The Standard or wherever chilling in cardigans and expensive sunglasses with a bunch of models. Maybe this song is alright, actually.

This is the official single “I’m Good” featuring Pharrell from Clipses upcoming third album “Till The Casket Drops”. “I’m Good ” was produced by The Neptunes and the artwork was created by KAWS, who is also working on the cover art for the groups album. The album is scheduled to be released on September 8.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Before she could utilize her talents for her own solo endeavors, R&B singer, vocal arranger, and songwriter Keri Hilson wrote a slew of songs, many of them chart-toppers, for several popular artists in the mid-2000s as part of the five-person production/songwriting team known as the Clutch. The dynamic songwriter was born in Decatur, GA, only a few miles outside of Atlanta. Addicted to TV talent shows like Star Search and Showtime at the Apollo, she was already plotting out her career in music at age 12. Even though her mother hired a piano teacher to encourage those talents, she mainly wanted to sing; therefore, Hilson converted those sessions into vocal lessons, accompanying the teacher on piano. In her mid- to late teens, her career jumped off as a songwriter and background vocalist, working under producer Anthony Dent (Destiny’s Child, Diddy). Born out of that relationship were two failed girl groups (named Pretty Toni and D’Sign) and, more importantly, a host of connections within the industry for whom she wrote or did backup vocals, including Usher, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Ciara, and up-and-coming Southern rap producer Polow da Don.
After Hilson graduated from high school, she managed to continue juggling all these tasks when she enrolled at Emory University in Atlanta. She eventually moved on from Dent and began working more with Polow da Don. Attending school while actively advancing her music career put a great demand on her, especially from being a member of the extremely versatile Clutch team. But as luck would have it, Polow introduced her to superproducer Timbaland, who wasted no time in signing the multi-talented songbird to his growing Mosley Music imprint in 2006. Over the next couple years, Hilson’s songwriting was practically ubiquitous, responsible for numerous hit singles, including Mary J. Blige’s “Take Me as I Am,” Omarion’s “Ice Box,” the Pussycat Dolls’ “Wait a Minute,” and Britney Spears’ “Gimme More.” She was also featured prominently on Timbaland Presents Shock Value, including the number three Billboard Hot 100 hit “The Way I Are.” With Timbaland and Polow in her corner, Hilson relied on the vast pool of recording artists and producers who needed (and wanted) to return the favor for her Mosley MusicInterscope debut. After a couple pre-release singles and numerous delays, In a Perfect World… was issued in March 2009, shortly after one of its tracks, “Turnin’ Me On,” had reached the Top 20 of the Hot 100.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Ross confirmed that he is already working on his next solo album, Teflon Don, which he expects to surpass his recent success with 2009’s Deeper Than Rap. Rick Ross takes his recording alias from the name of a famous drug dealer, and Teflon Don is a nickname for the infamous John Gotti. Reportedly, part of the reason for Teflon Don’s existence is so that Ross will have a place to repudiate the allegations made about him by 50 Cent and say “yes, yes I did sell drugs. I too am street.”

“I’m already on top of it, and it’s going to eclipse all my other projects,” Ross stated. “I recorded a record last week called ‘My Wedding Day.’ Just to summarize it, it’s like New Jack City when they were at the wedding…but it starts off real beautiful. But we’re just focused on this Triple C project and hitting them hard.”

The Triple C’s LP, entitled Custom Cars & Cycles, is being promoted by the Birdman-assisted single “Go.”

The debut project from Ross’ group is currently slated for a Fall release.

“The streets are excited. It’s all about motivating people to get up in the morning and go and get it,” Ross detailed. “I always stay focused on business….These are my brothers and they’ve been riding with me forever. It’s only right, the time’s right. We have a high-powered album we’re going to drop in October. Just know there’s a lot more treats to come.”

With the correctional officer and 50 Cent issue dying down, Ross credits his business acumen and music quality for his perseverance.

“I’m being a hustler,” Ross argued. “It don’t matter if you put me in Ireland tomorrow. You’re going to here about me doing something over there, I’ll make a movie. It’s the kind of dude I am. Whatever room you put me in it don’t matter. That’s what it’s about. I feel like everybody that’s watched my career and this empire being built are going to learn to respect it.”

At press time, a specified October date has not been announced for the Triple C’s album.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Big Sean gained a valuable relationship with local Detroit Hip Hop station 102.7 FM, where he would show his rhyming skills on a weekly basis as part of a rap battle contest the station held on a regular basis. In 2005, Kanye West was doing a radio interview at 102.7 FM; hearing about this, Sean headed over to the station to meet West. After gaining a strong relationship with the station from his previous rap battle routines, he was allowed in and allowed to talk to Kanye about his rhyming skills. After leaving a demo tape and along with free styling for West, Sean left him impressed. Two years later, after months of submitting and fine-tuning Sean’s work, West finally signed Big Sean to GOOD Music. Big Sean signed with Kanye West’s GOOD Music in 2007, and then in 2008 signed with Island Def Jam.

In 2007, Big Sean released his first official mixtape “Finally Famous-The Mixtape”. His hit single, “Getcha Some”, gave him strong media attention and led to articles in The Source, along with the Detroit Metro Times. He also recorded a music video for “Getcha Some”, which was directed by Hype Williams.The mixtape also featured the song “Get Em”(prod by 93 P), which showcased the talent for metaphors/wordplay that helped Sean gain the attention of his peers. Sean also released a second mixtape, which is produced by Mick Boogie on April 16, 2009 called “U Know Big Sean–Finally Famous Vol. 2”. Finally Famous the album is being slated to release in spring 2009. It will be Sean’s debut album and is said to include a plethora of hip-hop heavy weights. Some names include: Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, Mr. Hudson and The-Dream.

Popularity: 9% [?]

I Am… Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by Beyoncé Knowles, first released on November 8, 2008 in Japan and later worldwide throughout November and December from record label Columbia Records. The album reached the top ten on thirty-two charts worldwide. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, making Knowles the second female R&B artist this decade to have her first three albums debut in the top spot, and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA, making it Knowles’ third consecutive number-one album.

The album has so far spawned four worldwide hits: “If I Were a Boy”, “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, “Halo” and “Sweet Dreams”, as well as the U.S. only singles “Diva” and “Ego”.

Check out Beyonce’s new music video for “Ego“, the fifth single off her latest album, I Am… Sasha Fierce

“My goal for the video is simplicity,” the 27-year-old singer told EW. “In ‘Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)’, I saw this old tape of Bob Fosse’s wife, and I used that as inspiration. I thought in this world, with all the technology and everything that’s going on, to strip everything down—great idea. So I kind of did the same thing, but glossy and black, for ‘Ego’.”

Beyonce – Ego (featuring Kanye West) (Official Music Video) –

Popularity: 13% [?]

Jay-Z premiered the video for ‘D.O.A. (Death of Autotune),’ the first official single off his highly-anticipated upcoming album ‘Blueprint 3,’ right after the BET Awards Sunday night.

The gritty video, directed by Anthony Mandler, features appearances by Jigga’s buddy and Cleveland Cavalier LeBron James, record executive Lyor Cohen, who plays the rap icon’s driver in the video, and fellow Brooklyn, NY, native, actor Harvey Keitel.

Not only does Hova say goodbye to the autotune craze, but the mogul sets a rack of colorful clothes on fire and proclaims that he might wear all black for the remainder of the year. Uh-oh … sounds like Jay is over ringtone rap and vocoder-laced hooks.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Although it’s hard to remember radio without auto-tone T-Pain deserves honorable mention for bringing it back to life—in a major way. “Thr33 Ringz” showcases T-Pain’s silly and somewhat versatile nature. Yes there are the obligatory club hits and dance tracks but he also tries his hand at rapping. He was after all a “rappa ternt sanga” when he first hit the scene so trading in voice distortion for raw rap lyricism seems natural.
The funky and fun “Freeze” is made more youthful with the addition of Chris Brown while “Chopped and Screwed” featuring Ludacris is suitable for the grown and sexy. Other fun tracks are “Blowing Up” featuring Ciara. Showing his playful flirty side T-Pain coos over the medium-toned dance beat: “You’re like techno-music. Electronic. Baby let’s do this.”

Kanye’s assistance on “Therapy” is so hilarious it’s downright perfect. Although we will have to forgive him for mentioning a couple of those other blog sites in his flow. Another interesting feature choice is “Reality Show” with Musiq Soulchild, Raheem Devaughn, and Jay Lyriq. T-Pain and neyo soul may sound like a crazy idea but it actually works.

Not surprisingly the guestlist on “Thr33 Ringz” is more than a little packed. It’s practically over flowing. It is a circus after all and when’s the last time you heard of a circus with just one star?

Popularity: 3% [?]

In the span of three short years, Kanye West went from hip-hop beatmaker to worldwide hitmaker, as his stellar production work for Jay-Z led to a major-label recording contract and, ultimately, a wildly successful solo career. West paired his beats with tongue-twisting raps and a self-assured, flamboyant personality. His dapper fashion sense set him apart from many of his rap peers, and his confidence often came across as boastful or even egotistic, albeit amusingly so. This flamboyance, of course, made for good press, something that West enjoyed in spades during his sudden rise to celebrity status. He was a media darling, appearing and performing at countless awards shows (and winning at them, too), delivering theatrical videos to MTV, and mouthing off about whatever happened to cross his mind. He frequently spoke out against the rampant homophobia evident in much rap music, posed for the cover of Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ, and even claimed during a televised Hurricane Katrina fundraiser that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” West courted controversy, no question about it, but his steady presence in the celebrity limelight couldn’t eclipse his musical talent. His production abilities seemed boundless during his initial surge of activity, as he not only racked up impressive hits for himself (including “Jesus Walks” and “Gold Digger”), but also collaborated on smash hits with the likes of Jay-Z and Ludacris. As his career progressed throughout the early 21st century, West shattered certain stereotypes about rappers, becoming a superstar on his own terms without adapting his appearance, his rhetoric, or his music to fit any one musical mold.
Coming out of left field (i.e. Chicago, a city rarely praised for its hip-hop exports), West was an unlikely sensation and more than once defied adversity. Like so many others who were initially inspired by Run-D.M.C., he began as just another aspiring rapper with a boundless passion for hip-hop, albeit a rapper with a Midas touch when it came to beatmaking. Indeed, it was his beatmaking prowess that got his foot in the industry door. Though he did quite a bit of noteworthy production work during the late ’90s (Jermaine Dupri, Foxy Brown, Mase, Goodie Mob), it was West’s work for Roc-a-Fella at the dawn of the new millennium that took his career to the next level. Alongside fellow fresh talent Just Blaze, West became one of The Roc’s go-to producers, consistently delivering hot tracks to album after album. His star turn came on Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint (2001) with album standouts “Takeover” and “Izzo (H.O.V.A.).” Both songs showcased West’s signature beatmaking style of the time, which was largely sample-based — in these cases, the former track appropriating snippets of the Doors‘ “Five to One,” while the latter sampled the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.”
More high-profile productions followed, and before long word spread that West was going to release an album of his own, on which he planned to rap as well as produce. Unfortunately, that album was a long time coming, pushed back and then pushed back again. It didn’t help that West experienced a tragic car accident in October 2002 that almost cost him his life. He capitalized on the traumatic experience by using it as the inspiration for “Through the Wire” (and its corresponding video), which would later become the lead single for his debut album, 2004’s The College Dropout. As the album was continually delayed, West continued to churn out big hits for the likes of Talib Kweli (“Get By”), Ludacris (“Stand Up”), Jay-Z (“‘03 Bonnie & Clyde”), and Alicia Keys (“You Don’t Know My Name”). Then, just as “Through the Wire” was breaking big-time at the tail end of 2003, another West song caught fire, a collaboration with Twista and comedian/actor Jamie Foxx called “Slow Jamz,” which gave the rapper/producer two simultaneously ubiquitous singles and a much-anticipated debut album. As with so many of West’s songs, the singles were driven by somewhat recognizable sample-based hooks — Chaka Khan’s “Through the Fire” in the case of “Through the Wire,” and Luther Vandross‘ “A House Is Not a Home” in the case of “Slow Jamz.”
In the wake of his breakout success, West earned a whopping ten nominations for the 47th annual Grammy Awards, held in early 2005. The College Dropout won the Best Rap Album award, “Jesus Walks” won Best Rap Song, and a songwriting credit on “You Don’t Know My Name” for Best R&B Song award was shared with Alicia Keys and Harold Lilly. Later that year, West released his second solo album, Late Registration, which spawned a series of hit singles (“Diamonds in Sierra Leone,” “Gold Digger,” “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Touch the Sky”). The album topped the charts, as did the “Gold Digger” single, and Late Registration eventually won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
West’s production work continued more or less unabated during this time; particularly noteworthy were hits for Twista (“Overnight Celebrity”), Janet Jackson (“I Want You”), Brandy (“Talk About Our Love”), the Game (“Dreams”), Common (“Go!”), and Keyshia Cole (“I Changed My Mind”). West also founded his own label, GOOD Music (i.e., “Getting Out Our Dreams”), in conjunction with Sony BMG. The label’s inaugural release was John Legend’s Get Lifted (2004), followed one year later by Common’s Be. In addition to all of his studio work, West also toured internationally in support of Late Registration and released Late Orchestration: Live at Abbey Road Studios (2006) in commemoration.
After retreating from the spotlight for some time, West returned to the forefront of the music world in 2007 with a series of album releases. Consequence’s Don’t Quit Your Day Job and Common’s Finding Forever, both released by GOOD, were chiefly produced by West; the latter proved to be particularly popular, topping the album chart upon its release in July. And then there was West’s third solo album, Graduation, which was promoted well in advance of its September 11 release (a memorable date that pitted Kanye against 50 Cent, who in one interview swore he would quit music if his own album, Curtis, wasn’t the top-seller). A pair of singles — “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and “Stronger,” the latter an interpolation of Daft Punk’s 2001 single “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” — led the promotional push. It became his third consecutive chart-topping album, and its success culminated in eight Grammy nominations. West was the victor in four of the categories, and he performed two songs during the ceremony, including Late Registration’s “Hey Mama,” chosen in honor of his recently deceased mother. That loss, compounded by a breakup with his fiancée, informed 2008’s 808s & Heartbreak, a major change of pace that saw West singing most of his emotionally pained lyrics with the assistance of Auto-Tune.

KANYE WEST “PARANOID” feat: RIHANNA Dir: NABIL from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Popularity: 4% [?]