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Eminem - Recovery (Art)

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Eminem's latest enjoys two covers. Hit the jump for the alternate.
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David Cross on Biggie: "Overrated"

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Brilliant comic David Cross, prepping a new comedy CD/DVD slated for May 25, delved into hip-hop with Pitchfork in a Friday interview:


Pitchfork: Do you remember any examples of not liking an album everyone else did?

DC: I can't think of one off the top of my head, although I do think Biggie Smalls is overrated. I just don't think he's as good a lyricist as people say he is.

Pitchfork: You'd prefer a Jay-Z maybe?

DC: Yes. I love a good Jay-Z. I love a Kanye, I love a Lupe Fiasco.


It's a fair opinion. Biggie's catalog isn't deep enough for him to be considered the greatest ever, but his iconography is untouchable.

Cross also accuses Dane Cook of stealing material. Which is totally true. Read the whole thing here.
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Respect Big Pimpin'

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Jay-Z
, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Russian billionaire who owns the Nets had brunch Wednesday.
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ATG Presents: First Quarter Face-Off II

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You floated the river, studied and rode through the Wendy's drive thru to the last one, and with summer basically here (especially in the south where spring is but a ten day bridge to miserable heat), ATG maximizes its brand with a sequel.

For the uninitiated, the concept is fairly straight-forward: a rundown of the best hip-hop songs we've been enjoying during the opening months of the year. No politics. No favors. No DJs. No drops. No scrubs.

First Quarter Face-Off II ups the ante by splitting the jams down the Mason Dixon: the two-part volume is broken up by North and South sides. We thought this would be especially timely given recent, redundant north/south jabs from the rap world. ATG will elaborate on the petty squabbles later, but suffice it to say we think most regions (specifically New York, Texas, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, D.C., the Carolinas, Hunstville, Memphis) are producing quality rap, and we've divided FQFOII geographically primarily to showcase individual strengths.

Disc 1 represents soldiers of the North: Lloyd Banks, Fabolous, Freeway, Drake, Styles P, Nas, Lupe Fiasco etc. Disc 2 brings it home with the South's proudest sons: Big Boi, Little Brother, Young Jeezy, G-Side, Bun B, Big K.R.I.T. Jay Electronica and many more. Both sides bang. As for a winner? That's for you to judge.   

The West will have to wait for another volume, but we've paid homage with the artwork while representing our favorite ball conference. Yes, we're firmly in Steve Nash's corner.

Tracklist and download link after the jump. 
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J. Cole on Vibe's cover...sort of

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It looks like a cover. It's a nice cover story. It has Vibe's influential name attached.

What's the issue? Take a close look: It's a Vibe.com cover story. Vibe won't be releasing a proper issue for two months so for the interim, they are playing with Photoshop and making it seem as if J.Cole is a bankable cover icon, even though he's not and they'd never actually wage advertiser's money on a Cole cover. Not in May of 2010.

Here's Vibe's lame qualifier. Note that they basically say, "this was all Jay-Z's idea."

*We know, we know--two months is too long to wait for VIBE to hit your local newstand. So as a supplement, we'll highlight a celebrity making an impact as the VIBE.com cover story every Tuesday. We're going with Hov's choice for our first cover subject: Roc Nation's flagship rookie J. Cole. Check out the exclusive interview below as well as photos and an essential playlist.*
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New Dream - "One in a Million" (Aaliyah cover)

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Recently I've heard guys like Jay Electronica and Theophilus London talking about how hip-hop artists never do cover songs. The genre is too proud and prone to errant claims of beef and dickriding for one artist to really step into the shoes of another. Instead, he'll do a remix.

Countering this convention, Theo covered Tweet's "Oops, Oh My" on his recent "I Want You" tape, and today we get The Dream singing another bedroom r&b classic, Aaliyah's "One In A Million," for his own upcoming mixtape, Love Sessions. Haters can hate, but the result is smooth like the original. 

Come to think of it, why shouldn't there be an entire album of modern artists covering Aaliyah? Someone call the new Dame Dash.

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Metrics: Solar flares

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ATG sizes it all up.

This is the most ugly, personal rap beef I've seen since 50 v. Rick Ross. Things are so digital right now.

To recap: Solar is/was Guru's handler/friend/creative partner during hip-hop legend, Guru's final stages of life. When Guru passed, an ominous statement emerged and many assumed Solar was its real author because it was poorly written and Guru's friends were pessimistic about its content. Hip-hop is then predisposed to disliking Solar because the letter attacks beloved talent and Guru cohort, DJ Premier.

Solar's family questions the letter. Details emerge that Guru never regained consciousness following a widely publicized heart attack, despite Solar's reports to the contrary. Now Solar seems like, well, kind of a dick. Add the self-important attitude and wack aesthetic (color-tinted shades, mainly) and he becomes an easy target.

But really, that seemed to be about as far as this story could go. Solar is a shady dude but there's no real way to prove anything. Unless, of course, Solar treats his AOL account like it's Fort Knox and fills it with incriminating evidence including passwords to his other social media and lots of porno. An anonymous internet wiseguy, known only as "Renaldo" hacks into Solar's email account and disseminates the following through Solar's (hacked) Twitter account. We find out:

  • Solar endagered Guru's health
  • Solar was planning on using Guru's health and death to sell music
  • Solar physically abused Guru
  • Solar kept passwords and tabs on Guru's online presence
  • Solar kept Guru's family out of all decisions and statements
  • Solar owed money to producers, including Buckwild
  • Solar was collecting Guru's royalties
  • Guru's work with Solar netted hilariously puny royalties
  • Solar forged Guru's deathbed statement
  • Solar repeatedly cheated on his wife

On the one hand: good. Solar's actions are indefensible and exposing them is for the greater good. On the other: man, I'm never getting on Renaldo's shit list. Solar talked to Vibe in another exclusive (they scooped you, Source and XXL, though Vibe, you gotta press with follow ups and bring up infidelity claims) and he remains in denial; in "that was taken out of context" mode. He's likewise delusional and it's kind of funny:

"I just hope that this is just another case of a celebrity being targeted at random.
"

That said, he makes an undeniable point:

"Anything we've released that people don't like they just attack it
."

Fans want to believe Premier because he's a way better producer. Besides cheating on his wife, every other action on Solar's behalf can be semi-defended with context claims and the fact Guru trusted Solar for several years. Sorta.

ATG stands with Renaldo, because he seems sincere and makes good point that Solar isn't saying much because he knows Renaldo has some aces in his inbox; because I'd like to be on his good side; because you cannot trust a man with an America Online account.
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T.I. on Larry King (video)



The other two parts after the jump. Peace to Yardie.

Interesting interview, T.I. is very guarded and defensive throughout.
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Roots Picnic justifies visiting Philadelphia

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  • Run-DMC has been replaced by a special set from Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface, backed by The Roots. Upgrade.
  • Das Racist blowin' up.
  • Fuck Vampire Weekend.

Get your tickets already.
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Stimulus: Oddisee - Odd Spring

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Breath of fresh air. Noz posted some thoughts on gentrification's effect on hip-hop (cities as less real, recharging vitality of the burbs, etc.) and cited this as an early example of some suburban-repping quality rap.

The containing folder is free and mostly remarkable I'm intrigued. Odd Spring is fourth in a series of free Oddissee albums about the seasons. I think. Probably just contextualized by weather.


Oddisee - I'm From PG

Oddisee - Anticipation
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Pages.

Personnel.

Co-founder/Executive Editor: Ramon Ramirez
Co-founder/Executive Editor: Reggie Ugwu

Senior Writers
Cass Luskin
Jerod Couch
Evan Daniels
Natalia Ciolko

Web Design
Jeremy Hurd