Throwback: Camp Lo- "Luchini"

The Bronx duo known as Camp Lo, has released quality music over the years- most notably their 1997 debut album, Uptown Saturday Night. Upon release, it was widely acclaimed, and has since gained a cult-like status. Ski (now known as Ski Beatz), who is known mostly for the cuts he produced on Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, produced the majority of Uptown. Even if you've never heard of Camp Lo, you've most likely heard "Luchini." It's been featured in TV shows like "Entourage," and numerous commercials as well.

2011's Most Anticipated Albums- #6: Act II/ROC Nation Debut

If there is one man who could single-handedly resurrect lyric-driven Hip Hop back into the mainstream, it could be Jay Electronica. The man is a poet, almost prophetic with the way he "paints the picture." His first mixtape, Act I: The Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge), was unlike anything Hip Hop had heard in years when it came out back in 2008. But then he released the Just Blaze-produced bangers, "Exhibit A," and the reigning underground Hip Hop song of the year, "Exhibit C." When "C" dropped, all the Internet blogs went crazy... not only was the beat absolutely bananas, but then you've got this guy kickin' rhymes like, "so now I'm back spittin' that he could pass a polygraph, that Reverend Run rockin' Adidas out on Hollis Ave., that F.O.I., Marcus Garvey, Nikki Tesla, I'll shock you like an eel electric feel Jay Electra" .... ridiculous. Jay has been working closely with Just Blaze and Diddy on his next highly-anticipated mixtape, Act II: Patents Of Nobility, and recently signed a deal with Jay-Z's label, Roc Nation, to release his debut album. I'm excited to see what this man can do with a platform such as Roc Nation, because even with the most limited sources imaginable, Jay Elect can make music of the highest quality. Below is the preview for his song "Dear Moleskin," which was supposed to come out a while ago but still hasn't been released.

We Don't Believe You, You Need More People

You probably haven't heard of Slim Da Mobster, but it's a name should get familiar with. Hailing from South Central, L.A., Slim signed with Dr. Dre's Aftermath record label back in 2009, and has been ghost-writing for Dre's upcoming album, Detox. Like many Aftermath artists that have come and gone before him, I expected Slim to bite the dust just like Bishop Lamont and Rakim. However, two years later he's still around, and it appears that we have the first song (at least first I've heard) from Dre's newest protégé. I consider it a near miracle that this song is out because Aftermath is notorious for making music and never releasing any of it.

Slim Da Mobster feat. Xzibit- "Don't Believe You" (prod. by Nottz) [props to nahright.com for the DL link]

2011's Most Anticipated Albums- #7: Fear of God/G.O.O.D. Music Debut

In my humble opinion, Pusha T is one of the best MCs in the game. Alongside his P.I.C., Malice, the Clipse have released some excellent albums including Lord Willin', Hell Hath No Fury, and Till The Casket Drops. Pusha's dropped some of the hottest lines I've ever heard, most notably, "I move 'caine like a cripple," off of their 2002 hit song, "Grindin'." When news broke that Pusha would be signing a solo deal with Kanye's label, G.O.O.D. Music, I rejoiced as did many Hip Hop fans. Imagining Pusha rapping over Kanye beats, as well as the standard productions from The Neptunes, is an incredible prospect. Although no release dates have been mentioned, we do know that Pusha will be releasing a mixtape in the coming months called Fear of God, and his as-of-now untitled solo album should appear soon after. In the meantime, enjoy the G.O.O.D. music cipher from this past B.E.T. Awards featuring Pusha, Kanye, CyHi Da Prynce, Big Sean, and Common.

Throwback: Jay-Z- "Anything"

"Anything," is definitely one of my favorite Jay songs. When you hear it, it's obvious that it was produced in the same vein as "Hard Knock Life," with both of their samples coming from musicals (Oliver! for "Anything," and Annie for "Hard Knock Life"). This song actually wasn't on any of Jay's albums, it was released on Beanie Sigel's 1999 album, The Truth. I would love it if Jay made another sample-heavy album with producers like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and Bink!. Blueprint 3 had some cool samples, but its focus was to build something for this day and age. I have a feeling that for that to happen, the stars would have to perfectly align, but one can only hope. For now, take a listen to one of the more underappreciated Jay-Z songs.

Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang

One of the albums I foolishly left off of the "2011's Most Anticipated Albums" list is Raekwon's Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang, which is the follow-up to his near-classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Pt. 2. For whatever reason, Rae has gone under my radar of late, and I completely forgot about what should be one of the best releases of the new year. Earlier today, Funkmaster Flex premiered the title track off of the album and it is fire. This shit right here is tough as nails- exactly what you'd hope and expect from a member of the Wu.

Raekwon- "Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang" (props to illRoots.com for the DL link)

H.A.M. (prod. by Lex Luger)

Here it is... the first single off of Jay-Z and Kanye's collaboration album, Watch The Throne. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed. Anytime you hear that the two of these guys are gonna team up, you expect some music that's gonna slap you across the face, but this is just 'eh.' And Lex Luger... people seriously need to get off this dude's jock, cause this is just getting outta hand. His beats are OK, but not hot enough where he should even be in consideration to be doin the first single for a project like this. Not hatin', just sayin'. Regardless, don't let my opinion stop you from checking this out, it's definitely worth a listen, just not quite as hot as I hoped it would be.

Jay-Z & Kanye West- "H.A.M." (prod. by Lex Luger) [props to illRoots.com for the DL link]

You Just Got To Be, The Best Thing For Me

I've always listened to a wide range of music, but of late, I've probably listened to The Black Keys more than any other band, MC, rapper, or DJ. The Keys have been around for a while, but I first started listening to them due to their Blakroc project, as well as the songs they contributed to the soundtrack of Eastbound & Down. Their combination of Blues and Rock & Roll is something the music world has been missing lately. It's great to see them getting some mainstream press, most recently with their performance on Saturday Night Live. "Just Got To Be" is one of my favorite Keys songs, so give it a listen.

Magnetic Man

Dubstep has really blown up over in the U.K., and here in the U.S. its following is getting larger and larger. Skream, Benga, and Artwork have been at the forefront of this movement. I wrote about Benga a few weeks ago, and you can check that out right here. Together, the three Dubstep maestros have joined forces to create a super-group called Magnetic Man. Their debut album came out back in October, with a sound that is very different than their usual thick sub-basslines. By incorporating more elements of 2step and drum & bass into their music, they've almost created a new genre of music- or at least a subgenre of Dubstep. Below, I've posted the video for their second single, "Perfect Stranger," which has been in heavy rotation for the past couple weeks.

Throwback: The Game- "Dreams" (prod. by Kanye West)

As I said in the "most anticipated" list with regard to Game's career, he's had his ups and downs. However, one of those ups would have to be the single, "Dreams," off of his debut album, The Documentary. Kanye produced it, providing Game with one of his typical, soulful backdrops. The song is fire, and I still bump it quite often.

MTV Cribs: Wu-Tang Clan

Since the previous Behind the Boards focused on Wu-Tang, I decided to continue the trend with my favorite MTV Cribs episode. Back around 2000, the Clan led viewers through their mansion in Los Angeles, and it was absolutely hilarious. You'll see just about everything- dice games on pool tables, push up contests, method man passed out on the couch, freestyles, and more. Enjoy.

Behind the Boards Pt. 8: RZA

Of all the producers I've written about for the "Behind the Boards" series, this one might have been the toughest. RZA, the abbot (leader) of the Wu-Tang Clan is without a doubt one of the best Hip Hop producers of all time, and has executive-produced some of greatest albums ever including (but not limited to), Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., Wu-Tang's Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, and GZA's Liquid Swords. RZA's sound is completely unique- he usually resorts to sampling, but unlike other sample-based producers, his style has a very "Eastern" sound to it. RZA, along with the rest of the clan, grew up watching Kung-Fu flicks such as The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, and Shogun Assassin among others. He has since gone on to work in film- he put together the score for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill Vol. 1, and is directing his debut film called Man with the Iron Fist.

WARNING: THIS LIST IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART, ALL THE BEATS ARE HARD... IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF JUSTIN BIEBER/BABY KITTEN SOFT, I SUGGEST YOU READ ANOTHER POST

1) Raekwon- "Incarcerated Scarfaces"

Raekwon's 1995 album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., is one of the best Hip Hop albums of all time, and one of my top 10 favorite albums ever. RZA produced every song on the album, and each one positively contributes to the overall package. I can honestly say that there isn't a single song that I would consider to be "filler material," and I usually just let the album play out all the way through. "Incarcerated Scarfaces" is one of the hardest beats of ever, and the drums are just ferocious. I dare you to listen to this song and not mean mug... it's impossible.

2) Wu-Tang Clan- "Protect Ya Neck"

Considering this as one of the standout tracks on Enter the 36 Chambers just goes to show how good this song is. Every song on 36 Chambers is fantastic, if not legendary, and this one might be top three. Wu-Tang brings a raucous energy to this track, and it always gets the crowd hype.

3) GZA/Genius- "I Gotcha Back"

GZA's Liquid Swords, is another classic RZA-produced album. "I Gotcha Back" is filthier than Gary Glitter in Thailand- it's absolutely despicable to think any two people could make a track this hard.

"Kids are slingin' in the lobby, little Steve and Bobby, gettin' paid but it's a life-threatenin' hobby. Yeah, they still play hide and seek... the fiends seek for the crack, and they hide and let the cops peep."

4) Raekwon- "Ice Cream"

The third single off of Cuban Linx..., RZA laces the beat with a ghostly-sounding piano loop, and Ghostface and Method Man make contributions to top it off (pun intended). This is probably one of my top 3 songs off of Rae's album. Meth's hook is too dope, the way he relates women to different flavors of ice cream is hilarious- "one love to my chocolate deluxes, keep ya nails done... one love to my butter-pecan 'ricans for callin' me papi."

5) Wu-Tang Clan- "Gravel Pit"

The second single off of Wu-Tang's year 2000 album, The W, "Gravel Pit" is the kind of jam that makes everyone wanna go crazy in the club. As RZA says in the beginning of the track,"leave ya flowers at home, leave ya children at home." He gives you fair warning, because this song is definitely hype.

6) Method Man- "All I Need"

"All I Need" won Method Man and Mary J. Blige a grammy award for "Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group" in 1996. It is the perfect combination of Wu-Tang grime and mainstream appeal, which is most likely what led to its success.

7) Ol' Dirty Bastard- "Shimmy Shimmy Ya"

There will never be another Ol' Dirty Bastard. The man was 100% real... nothing about him was an act, everything you saw and heard from him was truly authentic. ODB had the most unique and identifiable personalities in Hip Hop until his death in 2004. "Shimmy Shimmy Ya" may seem like typical nonsensical rambling, coming from the king of nonsensical rambling, but the song is hot.

8) Raekwon- "Criminology"

"Criminology" is another all-time great Wu-Tang track. Ghostface's verse is considered by many to be one of the greatest Hip Hop verses ever, and the beat is infectious. This is definitely a standout on Cuban Linx..., which is impressive considering how many phenomenal tracks there are on that album.

9) Wu-Tang Clan- "C.R.E.A.M."

"Cash rules everything around me, CREAM, get the money... dolla dolla bill ya'llllll"

Everyone and their mother knows the hook from this song. You may even know it even if you've never heard the song before in your life. A certified Hip Hop classic right here. There's not much else to say, so enjoy...

10) Wu-Tang Clan- "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit"

If there was ever one song in the history of music that could literally start a riot, this is it... "If you want beef, then bring the ruckus... Wu-Tang Clan ain't nuthin' to fuck wit'." This song defines what the Clan is all about- gettin' rowdy, and destroying any competition that comes in their path.

Honorable Mention: Wu-Tang Clan- "Bring Da Ruckus," Wu-Tang Clan- "Triumph," Ghostface Killah- "Buck 50," Ghostface Killah- "All That I Got Is You," GZA/Genius- "Liquid Swords."

Throwback: Big L feat. A.G. & Stan Spit- "Holdin' It Down" (prod. by Pete Rock)

I'm gettin' stacks while you askin' people, do you want fries with that?

This quote is just one of the many ill lines that Big L blessed us with during his 24 years on Earth. It's unfortunate that so many talented musicians in the world of Hip Hop have passed on. Obviously everyone knows about Biggie and 2Pac, but let's not forget about Jam Master Jay, Big Pun, Ol Dirty Bastard, Proof, and J Dilla among many others. Big L was shot to death in own neighborhood, rumored to be the result of a longstanding drug feud between his brother and a rival gang member.

That said, L's life should be celebrated for the excellent music he made while he was alive. Lifestyles Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, and The Big Picture are both great albums and I urge you to give them a listen if you haven't already. Some other tracks to check out are his legendary "98 Freestyle," "Ebonics," and "Put It On." Below, I've posted the official video for "Holdin' It Down," but unfortunately it's censored, so to get the full effect I recommend you search for the dirty version.

2011's Most Anticipated Albums- #8: The R.E.D. Album

The Game's career has been full of ups and downs. His debut album, The Documentary, was one of the best-produced Hip Hop albums I've ever heard. Yet, his previous albums have lacked the cohesion and focus needed to back his claim as one of the best MCs in Hip Hop. I guess the one thing that is most disappointing, is that there is no doubt that he has the talent to create a classic album.

That's where The R.E.D. Album comes into play. Rumored to be co-executive produced by Dr. Dre and Pharrell, hopefully they can help put the pieces of the puzzle together and create a truly special project. Expect production to come from the good doctor, The Neptunes, Cool & Dre, Timbaland, Bangladesh, Just Blaze, and Kanye among many others. So far, none of the tracks that have been released have caught on, forcing the album to be continually pushed back. Below, I've posted a link to what was the first street single, "Krazy," and the video for the Cool & Dre-produced "Shake." Both are pretty underwhelming, but give them a try.

The Game feat. Gucci Mane- "Krazy" (prod. by Timbaland)

Complex, which is by far one of my favorite publications, recently released a list of their top 25 most anticipated albums of 2011, which you can read right here.

2011's Most Anticipated Albums- #9: Lasers

Lupe Fiasco is without a doubt, one of the most gifted MCs in Hip Hop. However, like many MCs that favor substance over style, his latest album Lasers was shelved by Atlantic Records without a release date in sight. However, after over a year of push-backs, Atlantic has announced that Lasers will hit store shelves on March 8th. Lupe's word-play and storytelling is truly ahead of the pack, and it's great to see him get a chance to continue to show the world his immense talent. "Kick, Push," "Gold Watch," and "Streets On Fire" are always in rotation, and if you haven't listened to his first two albums, that should be on your to-do list. Three songs have been released to promote Lasers, including the Neptunes-produced "I'm Beamin'," "Shining Down," and his most recent single, "The Show Goes On." For now, enjoy the video for "Paris, Tokyo," off of his last album, The Cool.

Throwback: Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg- "Lil Ghetto Boy"

Dr. Dre has released numerous classics throughout his career. Everyone knows his hit songs like "Still D.R.E.," "Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang," "Dre Day," and "The Next Episode," but one of his greatest songs tends to get overlooked. "Lil Ghetto Boy," off of his first album, The Chronic, is one of my all-time favorites. The beat is absolutely incredible, and the story that's told about getting stuck in the hood is legendary.

Throwback: Q-Tip- "Vivrant Thing"

Q-Tip, the frontman of "A Tribe Called Quest," is without a doubt a Hip Hop legend. With "Tribe," they managed to release three of the greatest albums of all time with People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, Low End Theory, and Midnight Marauders. If you haven't heard these albums, you're missing out on some of the best music ever made. For example, Rolling Stone named Low End Theory as the #154 greatest album of all-time, on their "500 Greatest Albums of All Time List." As a solo artist, "Tip" has released three albums to acclaim and success. His 2008 album, The Renaissance was rated as one of the best of 2008, and received a grammy nomination for "Best Rap Album." However, my favorite Q-Tip song is his 1999 single, "Vivrant Thing," which was co-produced by J Dilla. It's extremely funky, and never gets old.

2011's Most Anticipated Albums- #10: The Greatest Story Never Told

It's been a long time coming for the upcoming release of Saigon's album, The Greatest Story Never Told. It has long been one of my most anticipated albums, right up there with Dr. Dre's Detox, and it's lookin' like it will drop in stores on February 15th. Hopefully they mean it this time, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that it won't get pushed back (again). You may remember Saigon from his cameo appearances in Entourage, when Turtle tries to manage his career. Sai is much more than a gimmick, or spin-off of a TV show... he's talented enough that Just Blaze signed him as the first artist to his record label, Fort Knocks. "Just" oversaw the album, and produced 9 of 16 songs. With additional production from Kanye West, Buckwild, and Red Spyda among others, and features from Jay-Z, Swizz Beatz, Q-Tip, Marsha Ambrosius, and Faith Evans, The Greatest Story Never Told is sure to be one of the best Hip Hop albums of 2011. Check out the link below for the title track off the album (which is fire), and the tracklist below...

Saigon- "The Greatest Story Never Told" (prod. by Just Blaze) [props to illRoots.com for the DL link]

Tracklist:

1) Station Identification (Intro) feat. Fatman Scoop (prod. by Just Blaze)

2) The Invitation feat. Q-Tip & Fatman Scoop (prod. by Just Blaze)

3) C'mon Baby feat. Swizz Beatz & Jay-Z (prod. by Just Blaze)

4) War (prod. by Scram Jones)

5) Enemies (prod. by D. Allen)

6) Friends (prod. by Just Blaze)

7) The Greatest Story Never Told (prod. by Just Blaze)

8) Clap feat. Faith Evans (prod. by Just Blaze)

9) Preacher (prod. by Just Blaze)

10) It's Alright feat. Marsha Ambrosius (prod. by Kanye West)

11) Believe It (prod. by Just Blaze)

12) Give It To Me feat. Raheem DeVaughn (prod. by SC)

13) What The Lovers Do feat. Devin The Dude (prod. by Red Spyda)

14) Better Way feat. Layzie Bone (prod. by Just Blaze)

15) Oh Yeah (Our Babies) (prod. by Buckwild)

16) Bring Me Down (prod. by DJ Corbett)

Throwback: Slum Village- "Raise It Up"

I've always thought Slum Village was way too underrated. Their first album Fan-Tas-Tic Vol. 1, is an underground classic, and the follow up, Vol. 2, is excellent as well. J Dilla (who back in the day was known as Jay Dee) was long considered to be one of the best producers in the Hip Hop world before his untimely passing in 2006. Never to be outdone, T3 and Baatin always brought the rhymes to properly support Dilla's thick basslines and slightly off-kilter drums. If you're not familiar with them, I urge you to do a little research because you won't regret it. In the meantime, I wanted to leave everyone with one of my favorite SV jams from back of the day- "Raise It Up."

The Making of 6'7'

Shondrae "Bangladesh" Crawford has been tearing it up ever since he produced Lil Wayne's smash hit, "A Milli." He has since gone on to do records with Beyonce, Kesha, Gucci Mane, and he is currently working on Pusha T's new solo album. However, a lot of people don't know that he got his start as Ludacris' go-to producer for his first album, Back For the First Time. Most notably, he produced the now legendary single, "What's Your Fantasy," and the cult-favorite, "Ho." Most recently, he produced the lead single "6'7'" for Lil Wayne's upcoming album, Tha Carter IV, and it's a certified banger. While he was in the studio, he shot a video showing the making of Weezy's newest single. It's always cool to see the process of putting together a chart-topping song, so take a look...

This Time I'm Really Goin' Off, Fireworks

Although it took a while to grow on me, Drake's album, Thank Me Later, has since become one of my favorite albums of 2010. One song in particular has struck me like no other, and that would be the album intro, "Fireworks." The lush piano chords, along with Alicia Keys' beautiful voice really helped set the mood for an absolutely beautiful song. A few months ago, a U.K.-based remixer named, Deadboy, created a House edit of "Fireworks" that really does the song justice. I've been bumpin it non-stop lately, and I urge everyone to give it a listen... you may find yourself doing the same.

Let It Ride

Billionaire Boys Club

Since the age of 17, Pharrell has been living a dream. It was at this age when he wrote a verse for Teddy Riley to use for Wreckx-N-Effect's 1992 hit-song, "Rump Shaker." The song went double platinum, and Skateboard P's career has been off and running ever since. Together with production partner, Chad Hugo, The Neptunes have won numerous grammy's, produced multiple #1 hits, and have an estimated net worth of $155 million. Recently, The Selby, posted photos of Pharrell at his pad in Miami. The place looks absolutely incredible, and it's definitely fair to say that the fruits of P's labor paid off.

Pharrell's Miami Loft

Coming Out With Gunz Blazin'

Fresh out the pen, it appears Wayne is wastin' no time to start promoting his upcoming album The Carter IV. Earlier today, Funkmaster Flex premiered the first single off the album, which is called "6'7"." Wayne and upcoming battle-MC, Cory Gunz, spit fire over a rawkus Bangladesh-produced beat. The result is one of the hottest songs to come out in a while. Unfortunately we only have a radio-rip for the moment, but hopefully the CDQ version will be out soon.

Lil Wayne feat. Cory Gunz- 6'7"

Emerging From The Depths

Deep within the abyss of Aftermath's studios, some of the most talented producers in Hip Hop work every day to create music worthy of the Aftermath/Dr.Dre-approved name. Many of the world's greatest producers- Scott Storch, Hi-Tek, DJ Khalil, Mel Man, Mr. Porter, and Mike Elizondo among others, have all worked under the Aftermath umbrella. The label's newest signee, Dawaun Parker, has put in a lot of work on recent albums, most notably Busta Rhymes' The Big Bang, and Eminem's Relapse. On the side, Dawaun has been workin on an EP of his own called The Decision. With the exception of Kanye, Pete Rock, and to a lesser extent, Pharrell and J Dilla, I'm always skeptical of producer-rappers. For whatever reason, something doesn't seem to translate properly from working behind the boards to gettin' busy in the booth. That said, Dawaun's first single, "Lost," is pretty dope and is absolutely worth a listen for the production alone. Dawaun and Dr. Dre take care of the production, and to his credit, Dawaun sounds legitimate with the mic.

Dawaun Parker- "Lost" (co-prod. by Dr. Dre)

Better Late Than Never

The Clipse has long been one of my favorite Hip Hop groups. Even though their last album, Till The Casket Drops, didn't quite live up to expectations (sales-wise or critically), it was still better than the vast majority of albums released in 2009. To be fair, the album did have some jams- "Door Man," "Popular Demand," and "Never Will It Stop" knocked real hard. However, one of my favorite songs was the last song on the album, "Life Change." The beat was so dope, and rather than talk about their standard coke-dealings, Pusha and Malice came with some introspective lyrics that really showed how much they've grown as artists. A year later, which is incredibly late by most standards, we've now got the official video for "Life Change," which features Pharrell and Kenna. The vid is pretty cool, and the song is fire so check it out.

OutKastic

Thanks to my brother Andre, I really got into Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot album this summer. It may have not been everything I expected and hoped, but Big Boi did his thing. Maybe 80% of the songs are too creative and well-produced to press the "next" button on them.

Here is the video for the song The Train Pt. 2. It was recorded in 2008 when Big Boi had unexpectedly linked up with the Atlanta Ballet for the production of Big. The track features Sam Chris on the chorus and is somewhat of a sequel to the original The Train, which featured Scarface, Sleepy Brown, and obviously Andre 3000, from Kast's underrated project, the Idlewild album.

The Train (ft. Sleepy Brown, Scarface)

The Train Pt. 2

Testify

I can never pass up posting a mash-up done as well as this. The dude, Xaphoon Jones, who is better known for producing for Chiddy Bang, put this together, mashing up Kanye West's Touch The Sky featuring Lupe with Radiohead. It is a welcomed Kanye-centric break from finals and my steady rotation of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Kanye West vs. Radiohead - Testify

Put A Little Dub In Your Step

For those of you who are looking for a little something different to listen to, let me introduce you to Benga. Benga is one of the premier Dubstep artists from Croydon, South London, and alongside his partner in crime, Skream, he's helped bring Dubstep out of the dark corridors of South London and into the mainstream. I've become a pretty big fan of the genre due to its fusion of Hip Hop, House, Two-Step, Grime, and other types of electronic music. Recently, Benga teamed up with British singer Katy B to remix his song "Man On A Mission," giving birth to new version known as, "Katy On A Mission." The song and accompanying video are a great introduction to one of the fastest growing genres of music.

Forgot About Dre

Everyone knows that Dr. Dre's Detox album has attained a nearly mythical status due to its numerous delays since 2002. Year after year Dre has promised that the album "was coming soon," but finally, it looks as if it is ready for release in February of 2011. For the skeptics that are saying, "yeah right, I've heard that before," you would probably be right except for the fact that we now have the official video for the first single, "Kush." When I first heard it, I was rather underwhelmed. My thought process was, The Chronic had "Ain't Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang," as a first single 2001 had "Still D.R.E.," and Detox has "Kush?" It just didn't live up to the classic status of the first singles from his previous albums. That said, the song has really grown on me and I've caught myself bumpin' it multiple times the past few days. The video is dope, and hopefully Detox won't disappoint.