bigted

Game put out another banging mixtape: "Purp & Patron", it's that ish!! http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/13064/the_game_purp_patron.html

http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/interviews/id.1647/title.timeless-dj-premier-revisits-gang-starrs-step-in-the-arena

This song always brightens my day!

Yeah this has been all over the news, this is heartwarming and inspiring

Jaheim "Put That Woman First"

BeBe & CeCe Winans "Close To You"

Yeah as long as Nas does something I'm wit it: Rap veteran Nas has reflected on previously contemplating if he should hang up the microphone as a solo artist and only focus on collaborative projects. According to "QB's Finest", his recent studio time alongside reggae artist Damian Marley inspired his contemplation. "Sometimes, you can approach a record and can think, I got to take care of this person and I got to take care of that person, but you really got to take care of you," Nas explained in an interview. "I look at Michael Jackson, and before he passed away, I can only imagine the pressure he had to live up to for the next Moonwalk. And the reality is physically, he wasn't able to live up to that. I would have loved to see him come up with the next level, without even dancing, just using his creativity. It's all about evolving and that's what I want to do, evolve. I been so caught up into me and [Damian's] thing that I started to get used to it. Like, I didn't want to do the solo thing for a while. Me and D have just been doing our thing, reaching millions of people, but it's that time." (MTV) Last spring, Nas opened up about their Distant Relatives album's theme. "Reggae and hip-hop are cousins,'' he said in an interview. "Go back before the '90s and think about the music that was playing on the ghetto blasters and you'll hear it...The whole world is like family, split up all over the place. It's overdue, and I want to help build whatever we can [in Africa]. I've worked with a lot of reggae artists, like Sizzla and Supercat, but not until [2005's] Jamrock did I get a chance to work with Damian. I love his music and I'm a big fan of Bob Marley and the whole family. We haven't worked out any tour dates yet. But I'm sure Damian and I will do something soon." (Miami Herald) In 2009, Nas admitted to worrying over fans' reception of the LP. "I feel good about it," Nas said about the album and his legacy. "So I can't say how it's gonna affect my musical legacy. I just think that with everything I do, I want it to mean something. Like ['Tony Montana'] said, 'I tell the truth, even when I lie.' What he was sayin' is, he never lies. He's honest, even when he makes mistakes or misjudgements, he did it in truth. Everything I'm doing is because I feel right about it. The benefit of it [is] we contributed something to the world. Something like this...I don't know who's gonna like it, who's gonna hate it or whatever, but it's another contribution to the world. One more thing to just listen to." (Hip Hop DX) Upon its release last May, Distant Relatives debuted within the Top 5. Hip-Hop duo Nas and Damian Marley's Distant Relatives leads the way this week at No. 5 as Glee: The Music tops the chart with 135,800 sold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the duo's new collaboration album has sold 57,500 records after a week in stores. (SOHH Sales Wrap)

A part of me is happy that rap is still popular but another part wishes it'd become underground until more talented rappers get popular 'cause all these wack rappers make it look like all rap fans have low IQs

Thank God for real, this is some encouraging news!

heavy d brings it once again!!

I can't figure how that version of "I Put You On" wasn't on Keith's "Didn't See Me Comin'" album, btw here's the song that JJFP sampled for "I'm Looking For The One"(To Be With Me), SOS Band "Tell Me If You Still Care"

New York rap veteran Nas has switched up his initial game plan for releasing a follow-up to 2002's Lost Tapes compilation album and said the project could ultimately be free. Click to learn more... Considering the option of packaging Lost Tapes 2, which consists of unreleased tracks, within his next solo LP, Nas also admitted he is unsure what label will house the album. "Because I kind of lost time, I really wanted to release [the album] in December," Nas explained in an interview reflecting on his aim to drop Lost Tapes 2 last month. "But I'm starting my next album. So I feel like I'll probably give The Lost Tapes as a deluxe, maybe, on the next album for free. I'm trying to figure that out now. It's not safe to say that it's gonna be on Def Jam. You know, news at 11. We coming with the information on that soon." (MTV) In late December, Nas fans created an online petition against Def Jam hoping to pressure the release of Lost Tapes 2. "We the fans of Nasir Jones, have been waiting for the follow-up to the 2002 classic "Lost Tapes". This was a record of compiled tracks that did not make Nas albums, but put together for the sake of the fans. Since its release almost a decade ago, it has received critical acclaim and quickly became a fan favorite. It has come to our attention that Nas has in fact completed the follow-up, titled "Lost Tapes 2", and is waiting for you (Def Jam) to green-light the project and give it a release date. We do not like to go into speculation and rumors, but it seems as though you do not want to release Lost Tapes 2 because you don't want it to count as an official album since Nas only has 2 more albums left to fulfill his contractual obligation to Def Jam." (We Need Lost Tapes 2) Recently, Nas said he was most focused on completing a solo follow-up to 2008's Untitled. "I record a lot of sh*t. I have recorded a lot of sh*t over the years, and the sh*t that I ain't put out on albums should be on the Lost Tapes," Nas said in an interview. "Because my album, my studio album, my new album is a priority for the label and of course me. To find the time to put out Lost Tapes and then my record, my real record, is what we're up against. It's all this material and trying to get it out...I got no release dates right now. Nothing to tell people about, just inner workings hopefully to get the sh*t out right and get it out soon -- I'm in the studio, taking it step by step. It's not ready yet. I'm taking it step by step because it's so important for me and myself. I'm in a huge fight with me, so it's important that I get this one right. I don't want to leave no stone unturned on anything I say on this sh*t." (The Boom Box) Last month, Nas discussed his conflict with Def Jam and the company's unwillingness to release Lost Tapes 2. "You record a lot of records, and things that don't make the album, they get put to the side and you don't know what to do with them," he explained. "They sit around and they start taking on a form of their own and it belongs [on] an album. That's what I'd like to do. So of course my new album is priority for the record company people and even me, but [i'm] just trying to find time to put Lost Tapes and then this out--'cause everybody drops mixtapes and stuff like that and they don't have a problem with it, but my sh*t comes and it's like they're holdin' it with gloves...I'm like, come on, guys, I just wanna go out and play with the rest of 'em; with the n*ggas out their putting their sh*t out...We're working that out." (XXL Mag)

I'd be happier if Skillz and Jeff were doing something for a new JJFP album....

What more can be said, Toni Braxton's a wonderful singer and a beautiful woman

Keith Sweat Feat. Da Brat "I Put You On", "Blue Streak"'s an awesome movie with an awesome soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq7dI_LpGuM

Skillz has become the Howard Cosell of hip hop, his commentary is on point

Haha I like that post....A lot of these critics are bandwagon jumpers like the fans, if Kanye didn't sell much records they wouldn't be quick to give him props, then again maybe I should start looking at the glass as half full rather than half empty for 2011, things could be better but it could be worse, at least with the internet now there's choice even though it's harder for the good stuff to be recognised, i still love h.e.r. too...

sure there had to be as many wack rappers back in the '80s and '90s but the internet wasn't around so a lot of the wack rappers back in the late-80s to mid-90s didn't get the chance to record anything, but mostly everything these days is weak, even a lot of that underground stuff is underground for a reason, and I know there's some good stuff still but it's not classic like the quality albums from the golden era, lupe's cool but is he really better than rakim? rakim past his prime is better than today's best rappers at their prime, ice cube's recent albums from 2006-2010 are still good too and could hold their weight against anything out in that time period, age ain't nothing but a number, i understand that... i think it's a fact that a 50-year old rapper like chuck d has a better chance of putting out a classic album than most 20-year old rappers today 'cause he's the master of putting out classic albums already and most of today's 20-year old rappers haven't put out anything classic yet, there's no age limit on good music, and at the same time if a teenager puts out a classic album i'll support that too, like a said in that earlier post i think that hip hop already reached it's peak, i'm standing by that, kanye and eminem are good rappers for this time period and they might have talent but they're not doing anything groundbreaking to me, when and if people look at the history of hip hop as a whole then i think they'll realize this, that's all i really gotta say, peace...

if people really judged artists based on talent then rappers like soulja boy woulda never got a record deal, it's a fact that too many of these rappers that people consider 'hot' don't have much talent, anybody that thinks that rappers these days are putting out classic albums on the level of "Illmatic" are fooling themselves....

damn where do the years go? 2011 already? oh well let's make it a great one!

I thought Lauryn Hill was great with the Fugees and her Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill was great too but emotionally since that time she hasn't been the same, I think it's gonna be quite a stretch to say that after all that time that she could put out an album that could save hip hop....

Having the most money doesn't make you the best artist, if that was the case then 50 Cent would be a hip hop legend 'cause he's worth $500 million, Beyonce hasn't been that great of an artist since Destiny's Child split up in all due respect...

with all the drama that dmx's been through over the past few years i'm surprised he's still alive to be honest, he better do some serious reflection when he's in jail 'cause he's running out of time if he don't turn it around, i'm praying for him

Most of what people consider the best stuff out in the past few years would be considered average if it was released during the golden era of hip hop between the late '80s and mid 90s, people are so hyped up about rappers like Eminem and Kanye over the last decade 'cause there's been so much mediocre stuff that they gravitate to whatever's considered average, Kanye and Eminem put out good albums for 2010 standards but those albums ain't on the level of Illmatic/Mama Said Knock You Out/He's The DJ, I'm The Rapper/The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick/Me Against The World,in reality though the best mcs are from the golden era still 'cause they set the standard for how great hip hop should be made... That standard's so high that they can't top themselves, Nas probably won't make an album better than Illmatic, Ice Cube probably won't top Amerikka's Most Wanted, KRS probably won't ever top Criminal Minded, JJFP probably won't ever top He's The DJ, but they know how to make good records for any era, they could throw up on a CD and they still would sound better than mostly anyone out these days, in respect even the newcomers in recent years like Lupe and BOB are good but they ain't on the same level as LL Cool J and Rakim, in my opinion hip hop probably reached it's peak already... Also I wanted to add that I get more newer mixtapes than newer albums over the past couple years 'cause mixtapes are the best way to get that quality hip hop since industry politics hurt quality albums from coming out, for instance if Kel released the material he put out on mixtapes as official albums and the record labels promoted it it would go platinum or better, the same goes for Papoose, Saigon, etc, the state of the industry has hurt hip hop...

Well nobody puts out classics anymore, there's some "good" albums out there but nothing groundbreaking these days, I actually look more for classics from previous years these days than the new albums....