EPIC

No Shots at BP

Summer used to be a time of rest and relaxation. Sadly growing up has forced me to get a job and really cut the time I try to spend on here. Can't be making excuses, though, so why not throw up a track while I'm here.

This is a real smooth track with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys on the chorus. On the song, Oil Money, brought to you by Freddie Gibbs, he is accompanied by fellow young artists Chip Tha Ripper and Chuck Inglish of The Cool Kids, as well as the veteran who will never miss a feature opportunity, Bun B.

Oil Money

Joining Forces

There was a great KiD CuDi collabo that I recently heard called All Summer. He was recruited by Converse to make this awesome track with Rostam Batmanglij of Vampire Weekend and Best Coast.

Also, if you haven't heard the few tracks that have been released from KiD CuDi's new album, check out Erase Me and REVOFEV.

All Summer

It's Time For Bravery

I was checking out the website today and noticed two things...

1. Mr. Evans and I haven't poster anything since last month. Granted we are only four days into the month, but that still means our last post was almost two weeks ago.

2. The last post I got around to was about J. Cole, Roc Nation's first official artist. The one thing I can say is this kid's pen game is ridiculous. His lyrics are endless, and you can tell that he has been putting in the work. Recently I really got into his second and most popular mixtape, The Warm Up. Many argue that J. Cole has more potential talent and potential than fellow up-and-comer Drake, and this mixtape definitely gives Drizzy a run for his money. After listening to this mixtape through a few times, it's hard to argue that this isn't a Cole World.

Just like one of my favorite roommates back at Boston College, this lyricist hails from Fayetteville, North Carolina. His goal, through his delivery, is to put the Ville on the map, and only few can argue that he isn't doing just that. There is no doubt that J. Cole is a talented rapper whose performances and lyricism, if they prevail, will keep this kid around for a while.

This mixtape gets me excited about this young artist, who has the ability to change the game. Check out his newest mixtape, The Warm Up, to understand what I am hearing. If you get more curious like me, download The Come Up, the mixtape from 2007 that started it all.

Download: The Warm Up

J. Cole's 2009 Mixtape that will serve as a prelude to his freshman album due later this year.

Bonus : The Last Stretch

This is a great track that J put out a year after the release of The Warm Up over Diddy's Angel.

I Got That Flame

This video is fire... no pun intended. Check out the first video released from the young but very talented Roc Nation rapper, J. Cole.

And if you missed the track the first time around, here it is once again.

J. Cole - Who Dat

Studio Magic

Here is a view of Asher Roth and Pharrell getting to work in the studio to finish up a track off his upcoming sophomore album, The Spaghetti Tree.

We have already seen what Ash can do with Pharrell on the boards before. On The Greenhouse Effect mixtape, he went in over The Clipse's Neptune-produced track, Mr. Me Too. Check out the track and the video below.

Asher Roth - Mr. Me 2

Kush and Orange Juice Be The Component

This summer is slated for some major album releases including Eminem's Recovery, Drake's Thank Me Later, and Rick Ross's Teflon Don. The list goes on. For me, though, I would say that this summer is all about the mixtape. There is just so much good music that artists release for the fans through their mixtapes, and a lot of times it gets looked over.

My favorite so far is the newest release from my man, Wiz Khalifa, and it will be one mixtape I know I will be bumping all summer long. This young rapper has come a long way from Say Yeah, and his flow has only gotten smoother. His newest mixtape Kush & Orange Juice is a great play, essentially from start to finish.

The mixtape has little bit for everyone. Every beat has it's own original, cool feel, and a few tracks feature some great samples. You can cop it below, and check out a few little videos he created for a couple of the tracks. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Download: Kush & OJ Mixtape

ATLien

"Yo ATL, I know you haven't heard anything like this in a minute."

Donnis shouts out his home town in the intro on one of his new tracks. On the track he goes over OutKast's Aquemini, and he flows impressively, incorporating this old school, synthed up Atlanta joint. Enjoy this until the release of his next mixtapes, The Invitation and Fashionably Late, which includes one of his old bangers, Gone.

Aquemini

I'm the Coolest Kid That You Seen Thus Far

The Cool Kids are one of my favorite Hip Hop groups around, and while I'm still waiting on their upcoming album When Fish Ride Bicycles, it's been a while since they've released some new music. Yesterday, I'm pretty sure they surprised everyone when they said they had a new mixtape dropping on Memorial Day. Well, ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the good people at illroots.com and the LA Leakers, I present to you the newest addition to The Kids' catalogue, Tacklebox.

Tacklebox

The Megatron Don

I've long been a fan of Just Blaze, who I consider to be one of the top producers in Hip Hop. Most know him for his scorching beats, having worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Fabolous, Cam'Ron, and The Game, but many are unaware of his background as a House/Dance music DJ. Lately, Blaze has talked of returning to his roots in Dance music, and is looking to release some music on popular House music DJ A-Trak's label. Recently, he posted a video of a remix that he did of the A-Team theme song. It's a cool video of a genius at work, so check it out.

Do Right And Kill Everything

The more opportunities I've had to listen to Drake's music, the more I've grown to appreciate him as an artist. Although my first impression of him came from "Best I Ever Had," songs like "Forever," "Fear," and "Successful," have shown that Drake is more than just an R&B crooner who raps once in a while. In fact, he is one of the stronger up and coming MC's, who's not afraid to try something different. Case in point with his newest single, "Miss Me." The beat is anchored by a dope horn-driven sample, and the song is absent of a catchy hook- something that is usually demanded by record labels these days. Since Drake's signed to Young Money, as far as I know he has no A&R's to listen to, and is free to do as he pleases. I applaud him for releasing something this unconventional as a single, rather than releasing a tired radio single that is no different than anything else.

Drake- Miss Me (feat. Lil Wayne)

Behind the Boards Pt. 7: Swizz Beatz

I'm a huge fan/critic of Swizz Beatz. No question the dude has laced some top-notch artists with heat, but for every banger I hear, I feel like he releases a couple beats that I would classify as mediocre, or dare I say... "wack." Nonetheless, Swizz deserves to be acknowledged for the numerous hit songs that he's crafted, as well as the dope "NYC-keyboard" tracks he's done. In an era when sampling was popular, Swizz threw the industry a curveball and created tracks using keyboards such as the popular Korg Triton, among others. The difference was, where other "keyboard producers" crafted songs that were cheesy or sounded like pop music songs, Swizz was able to get the grittiness out of these same keyboards, and create some of the hardest beats NYC had heard. Take a listen...

1) DMX- "Ruff Ryders Anthem"

When Dark Man X came onto the scene with "Ruff Ryders Anthem," it set the tone for the rest of his career. His debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot is one of the best Hip Hop albums of the '90s, and one of the "hardest" as well. If you didn't know what DMX was about before "Ruff Ryders Anthem," you most definitely knew afterwards. "Anthem" was Swizz' first big hit, and he instantly became the go-to producer in the Ruff Ryders camp.

2) Busta Rhymes- "Touch It"

It's hard for me to choose what my favorite Busta song is since the dude has hits for days, but "Touch It" might be top 3 for me. Swizz sampled Daft Punk's song, "Technologic," and created an amazing hook, and programmed some hard-hitting drums to craft one of my favorite songs of 2006.

3) Jay-Z- "Money, Cash, Hoes"

Nothin' better than a little braggadocio from Jay-Z, and "Money, Cash, Hoes" is a perfect example of that. Jay spits over Swizz' cascading synthesizers, and DMX even stops by to lend a hand. When this was released, no other producer was doing beats like this. A straight up keyboard beat, that happened to have the dirt and grit that NYC rappers were looking for.

4) Styles P- "Good Times"

Wanna talk about a classic song? "Good Times," or known by most people as "I Get High," absolutely bangs. With the Freda Payne sample for the hook, it's easy to figure out what this song is about, but it helps create an unforgettable track.

5) DMX- "Party Up"

The definitive DMX song. Period. I still don't think I've heard a song that gets me as hype as "Party Up." I remember the first time I heard this was back in the day, watching TRL. All I could think was "this DMX guy is crazy." Eleven years later, it still keeps its spot as one of the rowdiest songs in Hip Hop history.

6) Beyonce- "Check On It"

Officially released as the official song for the 2006 movie The Pink Panther, Swizz gave Beyonce an infectious beat, and brought in Texas-based rappers Bun B and Slim Thug to help add a little street cred to the track. It ended up reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, and was a chart-topper overseas as well.

7) Cassidy- "I'm a Hustla"

By sampling a line from Jay-Z's "Dirt Off Your Shoulder," Swizz made this one of my favorite songs of 2005. "I'm a Hustla" was the first song by Cassidy that I gave a serious listen to, and it didn't disappoint. The beat is heavy, and Cassidy spits some straight battle raps.

8) T.I.- "Bring 'Em Out"

While it's not my favorite T.I. song, "Bring 'Em Out" is still a noteworthy song. It reached #9 on the Billboard charts, and was yet another Swizz-produced song that sampled a Jay-Z song, although this time it was "What More Can I Say."

*Excuse the dude dancing in this video, but it's the only one I could find where the embedding wasn't disabled.

9) Jay-Z- "Jigga My Nigga"

"Jigga My Nigga" is probably my favorite Jay-Z/Swizz collaboration. It was featured on the Ruff Ryders' first album, Ryde or Die Vol. 1. I still can't believe they never made a video for this- anytime this song drops, people go crazy.

10) DMX- "Get It On the Floor"

Although I wouldn't put "Get It On the Floor" in the same category as any of the previously listed DMX songs, it's still dope. Swizz definitely helps to create a raucous atmosphere saying, "if you don't wanna party then your ass gotta go." When DJs drop this at clubs, it usually sets the place off.

Honorable Mention: Beyonce- "Upgrade U," Eve- "Scenario 2000," Eve- "Gotta Man," Ruff Ryders- "WWIII," Jay-Z- "Coming of Age (Da Sequel)," The L.O.X.- "All For the Love"

Top 5, Dead or Alive

I'm a little late posting this, but here goes the new Jada mixtape The Champ Is Here Pt. 3, co-hosted by DJ Drama and DJ Green Lantern. So far, it's one of my favorite 'tapes of the year, right behind Trap or Die 2. I'm real pumped for Jadakiss' new album Top 5, Dead or Alive which reportedly has production from DJ Premier as well as some other NYC heavyweights. Hopefully, it'll be much better than The Last Kiss which, quite frankly, was lackluster at best. Be sure to check out "Top 5 Dead or Alive," "You Will Remember Me," and "Who Shot Ya," which are my favorite joints on this mixtape.

Jadakiss- The Champ Is Here Pt. 3

I'm Confident, I'll Take It As A Compliment

It's no Green House Effect, but Asher Roth is still having fun with his music. While there are plenty of songs on his newest mixtape, Seared Foie Gras, that I would never give a second listen, there were at least five tracks on here that are worth keeping in rotation. Some of the highlights include tracks featuring Talib Kweli, Ryan Leslie, and Pac Div, as well as production borrowed from some of the industry's most talented.

One of those tracks, Muddy Swim Trunks, just got the visuals to go along with it. The video itself plays off the title of Asher's first album, Asleep In The Bread Aisle, with him walking through the grocery store.

You can check the video out here:

Take a listen to a few select tracks that I was really feeling.

Muddy Swim Trunks

Con-fid-ence

Hellafaded ft. Pac Div

To check out the whole mixtape, download it here.

It Feels Like I Made It

Done studying, and I finally have my last exam tomorrow. I'll tell you this, it's been a long week, but I feel like I made it. And now that my obligations at school have passed, I'm back to the music. A track off Big Sean's Finally Famous seemed to fit so well.

The track, Made It also features fellow newcomer Drake. Not only do you get a great Drake hook, but he hits you with a verse right off the bat. Big Sean finishes off the song in G.O.O.D. music fashion. The production was done by WrighTrax alongside Kanye West. I'm curious to see how the album turns out, dropping sometime later this year.

Made It

Study Jams

Finals week, baby. The last thing I should be doing is posting instead of preparing for my exams, but we all need a break sometime. With finals in mind, it's always nice when you find some music that you can just put on and get to work with.

This week, I found myself turning to a couple different artists and mixtapes to get me through this last week of school. One of my favorite has been Dilla Jawns. This was a mixtape that The Legendary Roots Crew had put out on Dilla's birthday.

The Roots are literally so talented that I could listen to a whole album of them just playing. It's not always about the message that is relayed, but it's about the music. The Crew understands this and exhibit the bands musical talents by recreating and reinterpreting some beats created by the late, great producer J. Dilla with their time-tested, live instrumentals. If you're not familiar with Dilla, he was one of the most talented producers the industry has seen, working with the likes of Common, The Pharcyde, and A Tribe Called Quest.

For those of you who still have exams, enjoy this amazing bit of studying music. I can just throw it on in the background and truly enjoy it without being distracted from my work by any lyrics. I envy those who are done for the year, and you, too, can enjoy this compilation.

Download Dilla Jawns

It's Gonna Be A Hot Summer

Due to an absurd amount of work the past couple weeks, I've been unable to post anything. Well, what better way to make a comeback than to post the new DJ Drama-hosted Cam mixtape, Boss of All Bosses 2.5. I haven't had the chance to listen to this yet, but hopefully it's in the same league as Jadakiss' Champ Is Here Pt. 3 (which I will post for those that don't already have it). Hoping for it to be as hot as Jeezy's new 'tape, Trap or Die 2, is asking a bit much as that's undoubtably the hottest mixtape of the year so far. Nonetheless, I'm sure Dram F. Kennedy and Cam have put together some quality material.

Cam'Ron- Boss of All Bosses 2.5

The Doctor Who Cried Detox : Not So Patiently Waiting

The clever guys over at The Real have most recently put up a video they made that put's a little commentary about Dre and the whole Detox situation.

Croonin'

Trey Songz is one talented dude. On this song, he signs over Gucci's Mane's Lemonade. The track is produced by Bangladesh. For those of you that don't know, he is the same guy that produced Wayne's A Milli. His unorthodox production seems to shine especially on this track with the pianos hitting hard. Trey goes in for a couple verses before Nicki Minaj comes in at 1:20, and his verses only seem better with the presence of hers. I can't listen to the song after she comes in, and cut the track short on my iTunes, but for those who do like her, you'll enjoy this that much more.

Trey Songz - Lemonade

XXL Freshman Highlight: Donnis

The last XXL Freshman I am highlighting is the up and coming Atlanta rapper Donnis. Donnis is to what this years Freshmen class what B.o.B was to 2009's. He is a talented rapper whose wordplay is impressive. His 2009 mixtape, Diary of An Atlanta Brave, met him with a lot of internet attention and jump started his career and exposure. It's a mixtape that I can listen to pretty much all the way through while still enjoying each and every track.

Donnis says "Atlanta raised me. Tokyo made me a man." His story is interesting really. It was when he was stationed over seas that he fell in love with Japanese culture and fashion, like Bape, and it was his experiences that shaped the rapper he is today.

Beginnings

Country Cool ft. Bun B

Pop Them Thangs

Mike Posner ft. Big Sean, Donnis, Jackie Chain - Smoke & Drive Remix : This isn't a Donnis track, but he tears it up, and the song overall is dope without a doubt.

XXL Freshman Highlight: Jay Rock

It surprised me to see Jay Rock on this list, not because he is not a talented artist who can have a place at the top of the music business, but because he has been around making a buzz for a while now. Similar to Pill in style and substance, but born and raised in Cali, Jay can definitely take the claim as a "New Breed of Hustler." It is rappers like Jay and The Game who are opening the door for West Coast gangster rap to take it's hold on the industry once more. His debut album, Follow Me Home, is set to be released sometime this year.

All My Life ft. Lil' Wayne

I Be On The Block

All My Life Remix ft. The Game, Gorilla Zoe, Busta Rhymes

XXL Freshman Highlight: Pill

It seems like the term "A Breed of New Hustlers" is fitting for some of this years freshmen class more than others. Pill is one of those artists. Hailing from the South's Adamsville, Tennessee, Pill has a very unique sounds as well as a quick delivery. I only recently became familiar with him, but from what I have heard, he is definitely putting in the effort to become successful in the competitive industry that is hip-hop.

To get yourself familiar with Pill, you can check out two of his mixtapes, 4180: The Prescription and 4075: The Refill, as well as his upcoming mixtape 1400: Overdose.

Real Mutherfuckin' G's

Hear Somebody Coming

Fossils (Tribute To Biggie)

Pistol Packer

The Absolute Truth, Yeah, No Joke

When Young Jeezy first came onto the scene, I just wasn't feelin' his music. But after three albums, and numerous mixtapes, I've had the chance to revisit most of his work and I've now become a pretty big fan. "Trap or Die," "Standing Ovation," "Still On It," and "Circulate" always stay in rotation on my iPod. I'm real excited for him to release his upcoming album, Thug Motivation 103, but until then I'm hoping his new mixtape, Trap or Die 2: By Any Means Necessary (which is hosted by Don Cannon), will be able to hold everyone over. Anyways, here's the first leak off of the new mixtape... the Needlz-produced "Greatest Trapper Alive." Check it out, it's solid.

EDIT: A few people came by trying to download this track, but the link was dead, so I re-upped it.

Young Jeezy- "Greatest Trapper Alive" (prod. by Needlz)

What you doin...

I wanted to post some more Big Sean. He was featured on the XXL Freshman List and right here he is on some Soulja Boy shit. It's a pretty simple flow but he does take it to another level, and I appreciate that. Enjoy this track off his album, Finally Famous, because this is my jam right now.

Big Sean - Bullshittin'

If I Drop Another Album, I Did That For My Dogs

Say what you want about Rick Ross being a C.O. (correction's officer for those who haven't been keeping up), but the dude can make quality music. Armed with yet another soul-sample based song, we now have the first single off of his upcoming album, Teflon Don. The song is produced by DJ Clark Kent, who is a legend in the Hip Hop world. If the name doesn't sound familiar, go back and listen to Jay-Z's first album, Reasonable Doubt. Clark produced "Brooklyn's Finest," "Coming of Age," and "Cashmere Thoughts." This time around, Rick Ross has given us "Super High," which also features Ne-Yo on the hook. Jay-Z's audio engineer, Young Guru, did the mix, and Don Cannon did the scratches. So far, I'd say this gets my vote for song of 2010.

Rick Ross- "Super High" (feat. Ne-Yo) [Produced by DJ Clark Kent & Remedy, Mixed by Guru, Scratches by Don Cannon]

Let Me Tell You The Recipe

Thought I would kick off the weekend with a track that can get any party started. Nothing new, but definitely worth the second listen. In typical Cool Kids fashion, Chuck and Mike rock out on this track. Shout of to The Goose, D$, and the Zap Attack for requesting this dope track.

The Cool Kids - Bassment Party

Look Out for Detox...

So, the rumors are true... many feared that all the talk surrounding the supposed new single from Dre was just hearsay (especially considering the fact that this news was released around April Fools Day). However, within the next two weeks Dr. Dre is going to release his new Jay-Z featured single titled, "Under Pressure." On a scale of 1-10, 1 being "don't care at all," and 10 being "I think about it every 10 minutes," I'm probably a 9.5. I don't think I've been this excited for one song since... well... maybe ever.

I Need A Dolla

You know when you find one of those songs that you know you can just play on repeat and not get sick of. Well for me, I found that in Aloe Blacc's track I Need A Dollar. I don't know much about this artist, but he hails from California and has actually been in the industry for a while.

What I like most about this song is the old school feel it has. With the music industry today being very single-driven, it is nice to see an artist out there continuing to make soulful music. This specific track was selected to be the theme song for HBO's new series How To Make It In America, which even features KiD CuDi on the cast.

You should take the time to check out the video for the song here, and you can listen and download it below.

Aloe Blacc - I Need A Dollar

It's A Celebration

Currently 9 minutes til my birthday, and as Kanye would say "You know what this is... it's a celebration, bitches." I'll write a little more on the song tomorrow, but know it's off of Late Registration.

Kanye West - Celebration

BIRFDAY

March 24th, 2010 could be my favorite day in a while. Yes, it is my 21st birthday. I shouldn't be the only one celebrating so I'm leaving you readers with a little bit of birthday-themed music.

The Roots ft. Patrick Stump - Birthday Girl

Red Cafe - Birthday Sex Freestyle

Jeremiah - Birthday Sex Remix

A few more birthday rap tributes to other artists:

Joell Ortiz - Happy Birthday Pun

Jay-Z - Big Daddy Kane Birthday Freestyle (Circa 1991)

And here is that techno remix of Jeremiah's Birthday Sex on YouTube, thanks to Isabella over at Addictions and Musings.