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#RIPBig

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Thirteen years ago today, one of the most iconic figures in pop culture was shot and killed in Los Angeles.

The event changed the course of music as a windfall of money and fame went to cohorts closest to The Notorious B.I.G. Every year since, mixtapes and commemorative bootlegs emerge on March 9. Sean Combs poaches takes into full albums, merchandise, lavish parties and motion pictures. Today, Biggie tops trends on Twitter, the social networking equivalent of murals on brick walls. 

Ruminating on this subject is tiring so I'll just offer up my five favorite Biggie songs, posthumous, bootleg or otherwise.

1.    Gimme The Loot
2.    Mo Money, Mo Problems
3.    Things Done Changed
4.    Dead Wrong
5.    Deadly Combination
By Ramon on 03.09.10 9:46AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Rhymefest's El Che LP to be released May 18

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About time. Thanks for not being Dr. Dre, 'Fest.

El Che features appearances From Saigon, Little Brother and production from Scram Jones, S1, BKS and Terry Hunter.

Tracklist, album art after the jump.
Continue reading Rhymefest's El Che LP to be released May 18.
By Ramon on 03.08.10 11:35AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Rappers react to Oscar

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Sunday night, Twitter buzzed with joyful "suck it, Cameron!" Tweets. At long last, Papa Doc won an Oscar. Steve Martin was funny; Alec Baldwin less so. The acting categories went chalk. The screenplay categories, with original not going to "Inglorious Basterds" and adapted not going to "Up In The Air," yielded the only noteworthy upsets.

Here are some Tweet highlights from the hip-hop beat:

  • diplo   I hope the girl from precious bust up Sandra bullock..
  • questlove so does this mean that we will ACTUALLY see "the hurt locker" and come to grips that we are in a war people?
  • RealTalibKweli Thought that Avatar was gonna get it but Hurt Locker deserved it. Great movie.
  • QtipTheAbstract so happy for hurt locker! and the powerful woman director!
  • amandadiva YASSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GO LADIES! GO LADIES!!!!!!!!! (btw rip dilla) DOPE!! (sidenote: she's James Cameron's ex-wife)
  • MURS  Bboys and ballet. I can't front. I was feeling it.
  • 9thWonderMusic they got the B-BOYS at the oscars!
  • souljaboytellem  Congratulations Monique! You are a queen :)
  • donwill HOLY SHIT IS THAT GHOSTDOG!?!?!
By Ramon on 03.08.10 8:12AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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D'Angelo arrested for soliciting cop

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D'Angelo was arrested Sunday morning for soliciting oral sex from an undercover police officer. He was reportedly driving with $12,000 cash. D'Angelo, 36, whose real name is Michael Archer, was in his Range Rover at Greenwich and Horatio streets at about 2:30 a.m.

The arrest caps a tumultuous, disappointing, generally weird decade of writer's block and mental health problems for the brilliant r&b star.

UPDATE: D'Angelo's handlers release statement.

"We know there is a lot of speculation in regard to the arrest of D'Angelo in New York City this past weekend. We would like his fans and the public at large to know that D'Angelo has plead not guilty -- and is contesting the allegations made against him. Also know that he is in good health and extremely excited about his forthcoming new album. D'Angelo would like to personally thank all of his fans for the outpouring of concern, and appreciates if all would allow the American justice system to resolve the matter before jumping to any conclusions."
By Ramon on 03.07.10 4:51PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
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XXL Freshman 2010 (April issue)

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We told you.
By Ramon on 03.01.10 12:29PM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Morning notes: Nicki Minaj rising, Lil Wayne's dental procedures

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By Ramon on 02.19.10 11:50AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Jay-Z to headline Bonnaroo

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Fringe attendees debating festivals have another conundrum: Jay-Z is double dipping and set to top the bill of another staple festival: June's traditionally hippie-heavy, Tennessee held, three-day camp out, Bonnaroo.

For hip-hoppers debating between Roo and Coachella, the scales shift favorably to Bonnaroo with newly confirmed artists:

  • Jay Electronica
  • Wale
  • Kid Cudi
  • Nas & Damian Marley
  • Mayer Hawthorne

Can't wait for summer.
By Ramon on 02.09.10 4:49PM | 2 Comments | No TrackBacks
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Lil Wayne to be sentenced in New York City gun case

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Lil Wayne will be sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty in a gun possession case. His plea deal hints at a year in prison with an eventual shortened, eight month sentence for good behavior.

Super Bowl weekend meant a star-studded farewell party, the rest of 2010 leaves the offputting flavors of Rebirth, no output from the most consistent, hardest-recording rapper of the 21st Century.

Tough to imagine browsing the RSS feeds and not looking forward to "new Lil Wayne featuring nondescript cronies from Young Money" MP3 posts.

Free Weezy.

Update: Lil Wayne sentencing postponed for dental reasons.

Update II: Lil Wayne shot NINE music videos over the weekend. 
By Ramon on 02.09.10 9:04AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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Chamillionaire releases new mixtape, reunites with Paul Wall

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With the backdrop of industry perils pushing back Chamillionaire's third major label album, Venom, the Houston rapper delivers on a December promise to bring "major pain" via a mixtape dubbed, um, Major Pain. Like his classically underrated and excellent Mixtape Messiah volumes, Pain is set to be an ongoing series available through his website.

"If you happen to take a trip to New York, and you happen to bump into anybody, anybody in Manhattan that's walking out of the Universal building -- you know, anybody that you see in a suit and a funny looking bow tie, you deliver this message, you tell them this, February 2 here comes the pain, they don't push us back"

In an ironic twist, Venom finally gets a March 16 street date.

And in related, welcome news to fans of their seminal 2002 classic, Get Ya Mind Correct, Cham is reuniting with longtime cohort and brief beef buddy, Paul Wall, for a nationwide tour that jump starts next month during South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.
By Ramon on 02.03.10 10:50AM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks
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Drake X Eminem X Lil Wayne X Grammys




After we stopped live blogging, three of hip-hop's heaviest forces joined with Travis Barker for a solid, hyped performance. Though none of the hip-hop awards were telecast, the headlining performance represented.

Check eventual Album of the Year winner, Taylor Swift, singing along; ditto for Oscar winner and flipcam enthusiast, Jamie Foxx.

And where was Kanye West on this "Forever" performance? His comrades think it was due to a) Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak getting snubbed or b) the fact he's hard at work on his next LP. Personally, I think he's finally realizing how silly and frivolous and backwards this particular awards ceremony is. I'm hoping he's putting behind notion that Grammy vindication equates anything substantive.
By Ramon on 02.01.10 8:20AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks
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