1. Intro
2. The Finals
3. David Stern Speaks
4. Michael Jordan (feat. Big K.R.I.T.) (Prod. by DaDreak)
5. RLSP (feat. Don Trip & K.Camp) (Prod. by Fate Eastwood)
6. Open Letter 2 A$AP Rocky
7. Kobe Bryant Speaks
8. The ESPN Halftime Show
9. Wassup?! (Prod. by Korey KutDaCheck)
10. Charles Barkley Speaks
11. Cloud 9 Music (Prod. by Kajmir Royale)
12. Bad MoFo (Prod. by Noki Swazay)
13. Baron Davis Speaks
14. Im Just Gettin Started (Prod. by Beat Flippaz)
15. NBA on NBC 2K11
16. Str8 Wreckin 2K11 (Prod. by Kajmir Royale)
17. Lebron James Speaks
18. Headliner (Slowed & Thoed)
19. J.J. Barea Speaks
20. Maybe She Will (Slow & Thoed)
21. Kill The Boss (Slow & Thoed)
22. 2 Pac’s Back (Slow & Thoed)

Lil Wayne will join artists like Chris Brown, Foo Fighters, deadmau5 and David Guetta during a tribute to dance/electronic music.

The segment is the first ever Grammy spotlight on the Dance/Electronica Music genre of music, according for the organization.

The collective of artists will perform in a special outdoor tent adjacent to The Staples Center.

Lil Wayne is nominated for Best Rap Performance for “Look At Me Now” (with Chris Brown and Busta Rhymes).

He also has two nods in Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “I’m On One” (with DJ Khaled, Drake and Rick Ross) and “Motivation” (with Kelly Rowland).

Lil Wayne is also up for Best Rap Song for “Look At Me Now”; and Best Rap Album for Tha Carter IV.

Queens, New York rap legend LL Cool J is playing host to the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, which airs on Sunday, February 12 at 8 ET.

Independently, you may have heard of both of the people responsible for Never Enough; Knowledge Medina is a battle rapper to the core and has several appearances on GrindTimeNow.net (videos of his handiwork are all over YouTube, if interested), while the Florida producer Numonics has silently crafted a name associated with quality Hip-Hop, working with the likes of Co$$, J NiCS, REKS, and more. It makes sense for the two Florida representatives to work together on an EP, and Never Enough should please a majority of Hip-Hop fans despite its flaws.

Numonics is rock-solid with his production throughout the EP, setting the stage perfectly for Knowledge Medina and friends to spit without having to worry about overpowering instrumentals. The duo channel Hip-Hop in almost every aspect, and it reflects throughout. It’s also notable to mention that Numonics created the title track while recovering from a near fatal heart attack. And, from Medina rhyming about his daughter on “Promise Me”, to the state of music on “DOA”, to just the typical posse cut on “Rhyme Over Reason”, the project showcases enough talent in its brevity (only nine tracks) to warrant respect for all involved.

However, the biggest issue with the EP is the fact that most of the guests featured seem to outshine the host MC. REKS destroys both of his features with ease on “DOA” and “Above and Beyond”, Co$$ delivers a stand-up verse on “Can You Let Me Be”, and J NiCs & Jon The Barber elevate their stock on “Rhyme over Reason.”

Due to his style and cadence when rhyming, it’s easy to become a little bored with Medina’s bars, even when they are well-constructed. Although this isn’t always the case (Medina’s verse on “Rhyme Over Reason” is one of my favorites featured), it’s a reccurring theme that sticks out like a sore thumb in comparison to everything else, and will surely bring up the question if battle rappers can truly make quality songs in the future.

All constructive criticism aside, Never Enough is still a well-executed project that aims for the Hip-Hop heads more so than the radio listeners. Depending on your side of the argument, that could be a good or a bad thing, but regardless of your perspective the Florida tandem adds another nice project to their ever-growing checklist of accomplishments. If you have a little time, give it a download and evaluate it for yourself.

Photo credit: ImageShack

In the 12 years since his death, Pun’s legacy has lived on vibrantly through his music, and a number of Hip-Hop personalities chose to show some love to the late rapper with tweets like, ”R.I.P 2 MY BROTHER THE GREATEST RAPPER EVER BIG PUN!!!! WE LOVE U AND MISS U!!! BIG PUN 4EVER !!!!!”, which came from Pun’s close friend, Fat Joe.

Juelz Santana and Cory Gunz respectively tweeted, “R.I.P BIG PUN 2day makes 12 years he’s been gone an has yet to be an there will never be another!! #wordplayking #gone2soon” and “We Miss You PUN … Rest In Paradise !!!”

A number of other Hip-Hop personalities posted messages about Pun, including Chuck D, DJ Khaled, Timbaland, French Montana, Cuban Link, Mystikal, Bun B, Just Blaze, and Q-Tip.

DJ Premier showed both Pun and the late producer J Dilla love by writing “Always rememberin’ the Greatness and Legacies of Big Pun and J Dilla!” As did Just Blaze, “RIP Pun. Thank u for everything. Much indebted to you.”

“It All Belongs To Me” was produced and written by Rico Love, who has recently been thrust into the spotlight via his appearances on VH1’s popular “Love and Hip Hop” show.

According to Billboard.com, the Rico Love-produced single will appear on both Monica’s New Life and Brandy’s yet-to-be titled album, both slated for March. Check out the video for “It All Belongs To Me” below:

“Dilla,” as his friends called him, suffered from Lupus and passed away at the early age of 32, after being hospitalized for pneumonia.

While battling his illness, J Dilla became widely regarded as one of the most influential and prolific producers of all time, staying busy amid his waning health conditions.

Producing for the Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Common, Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson, The Roots, Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, D’Angelo, and his own group, Slum Village, Dilla developed a cult-like, post-mortem following. His legacy includes production for some of today’s biggest Hip-Hop stars, as well as the release of the critically-acclaimed, 31-track “Donuts” album just after his passing.

In honor and in celebration of his mark on music, J Dilla will be remembered this Friday (February 10) with a concert at The Filmore in Detroit. Deemed “Dilla Day Detroit,” the celebration seeks to recognize the Detroit Hip-Hop pioneer’s musical legacy and will feature Busta Rhymes, Jay Electronica, Phife of A Tribe Called Quest, along with Phat Kat, Danny Brown, and the Nick Speed Orchestra.

While those are the confirmed performances to date, others are expected to be added to the bill as the the concert approaches.

“It’s going to be very special to have people right here in Detroit see his name up in lights and embrace his great legacy,” Dilla’s mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, said in a statement to the Detroit Free Press back in December. “It’s very special that we’re doing it right here in his hometown. He loved his city.”

Portions of the proceeds from the concert will go to the J Dilla Foundation and Rebirth of Detroit, a new album of unreleased J Dilla material, scheduled for May through the Yancey Music Group.

For more info, visit www.jdillarebirthofdetroit.com and www.jdillafoundation.org.

In the first of a two-night set in New York City, Jay-Z stunned the crowd of 2,800 people by performing most of his classic songs and then bringing out surprise guest, Nas. Alicia Keys also performed with Jay-Z, getting behind the piano for thier hit, “Empire State of Mind.”

In addition, he later performed an ode to his newly born child with the song “Glory.”

Dubbed as a charity event, the concert’s proceeds were donated to the United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation.

Jay-Z, dressed in a tux and holding champagne in hand, rocked the crowd with a 36-piece orchestra that included ?uestlove of the Roots.

Other notable highlights from the show included Jay-Z standing on a seat in the balcony and performing “Money Aint a Thang,” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” along with approximately two dozen songs.

While celebs Liz Minnelli and Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia were said to be in attendance, the performance marked the only the second time that a rapper has performed at Carnegie Hall. In 2001, Wyclef Jean performed at the historic venue as well.

Jay-Z will perform again tonight (February 7) to a sellout crowd, despite the steep price of tickets ranging from $1,500-$2,500.

Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday, Gucci Mane released his latest project, Trap Back, hosted by DJ Holiday. After a tumultuous 2011, in which he saw more time inside of a psychiatric hospital and jail cell than a studio, the controversial Atlanta rapper attempts to reach out to his core audience with a project that features Jadakiss, 2Chainz, and Future, as well as constant collaborators Waka Flocka Flame, Yo Gotti, and Rocko.

As expected, Trap Back features an exercise in excellent trap production as Lex Luger, Drumma Boy, Zaytoven, Southside, Mike Will Made It, KE on the Track, and Sonny Digital provide the sounds. So, production isn’t the issue for Gucci as much as the fact that, within the past year, his personal problems have allowed the rise of other Atlanta artists. Long-time fans will be happy to hear that Gucci Mane seems to be moving in the direction of a successful 2012.

The tape begins with a phone introduction from none other than incarcerated drug trafficker, and one of the founding leaders of the Black Mafia Family organization, Demetrious “Big Meech” Flenory. Although this may seem odd to fans as Big Meech has been known as a long-time affiliate of Young Jeezy and an on-again/off-again enemy of Gucci, the introduction sets the tone for a different project from Gucci Mane than we’ve seen in the last couple of years.

“Back in 95” begins the song portion of the tape with a rare look into Gucci’s past. Although critics complain of the lack of variety in his subject matter, it is clear that this is all Gucci has known his entire life (“Had a crush on your sister but I used to serve your mama, breaking fifties down to dimes was my job for summer”).  On “Plain Jane,” producer Mike Will Made It steals the show with a grimy, futuristic-like melody that sounds as if it was produced on the planet Mercury. Although Gucci and Rocko provide solid verses, the beat is so hypnotizing that it manages to stand alone above the other instrumentals on the tape as the clear best beat.

Surprisingly, as strong as the first half of Trap Back is, the second half continues the vibe as quality tracks such as “Thank You” and “Okay with Me” stand on their own. The latter features Gucci Mane providing an excellent hook, sending listeners on a flashback to 2009 when Gucci was at the height of his popularity and hook-creating ability. Although he may not be the most lyrical rapper to ever pick up a microphone, Gucci has an ability to put enough emotion and flair into his words that allow his choruses and ad-libs to float inside of your consciousness for days.

“Sometimes,” featuring buzzing Atlanta rapper Future, brings the finest out of producer Drumma Boy and Gucci Mane. The vibe created by the murky drum and piano sounds will have the listener feeling like the co-star of Drumma’s personal horror movie or as the passenger inside a car with others prepared to do no good. Gucci does not disappoint as he gives a small introspective into his mercurial consciousness, even touching on the passing of Bricksquad rapper Slim Dunkin:

“I know God can’t be mad at me because of all the blessings he gave me /

Riding around with my top down I’m looking up at the galaxy /

Lot of girls can’t stand me, they don’t really understand me /

Can’t get half of my phantom, you ain’t getting half of my mansion /

Lost my homie to gun fire, n*gga part of my empire /

Ever since that day, I been riding late like a vampire /

People say I’m an addict, got a lot of bad habits /

Love smoking that broccoli and I love stacking that cabbage” /

It may not be the greatest mixtape of all-time or even the best mixtape in Gucci’s catalog, but Trap Back is easily the strongest release from Gucci Mane since, possibly, 2008. On this project, Gucci sounds clear, concise, and back focused on his career. With supreme beats and an improved flow, Trap Back is a must-download for fans and might even introduce new fans into the world of trap music. Trappers rejoice – Gucci Mane is back and looking to claim the throne as “King of the Trap.”

Find Gucci Mane’s new mixtape, Trap Back, on Datpiff.com, and follow him on Twitter (@gucci1017). Mos Jones can be reached at mosjones@live.com, through his website www.onebrothertoanother.com, or on Twitter (@MosJones).

In Wiz’s recent interview with Sway from MTV, he revealed that the album’s title was inspired by the Mobb Deep rapper’s first solo album, 2001′s H.N.I.C. (Head N*gga In Charge). Wiz stated that the album’s title comes from several incidents he was involved in with plane personnel while flying first class during his the enormously  successful 2011 that he had.

“I’m just going to tell you it’s the Only N*gga In First Class. It’s inspired by Prodigy’s H.N.I.C. When he dropped that, I felt like that sounded so strong and it really meant something and it had the n-word in it. I wanted to figure out something [along those lines] that was me, too…I said it on one of my songs, like, ’Ain’t it funny when time pass?/Only nigga in first class,’ and I was just talking about me being a young, rich dude and being black.”

While speaking on his “flying incidents” Wiz said, “It looks crazy when I walk up to them and I show them a ticket, or I’m going to priority seating and they’re like, ’You sure?’ It’s kind of like that feeling – it’s a good feeling, but it’s like it’s a bad feeling, like ’Damn, why y’all even feel like that about me?’ When I look around and I see people in first class and they’re getting they’re dinners a little quicker than mine or they’re looking at me or I don’t get the pillow or extra treatment – or I get more because they know that I’m supposed to be there, so it’s like the positives and the negatives.”

Rumor has it that with this new-found “revelation,” Prodigy is looking to get Wiz on his next album, the appropriately titled H.N.I.C. 3, which is set to drop later this year.

Welcome to the best week of your life!! Today’s Daily Word is dedicated to having some courage!! Effective immediately, I need you to start being more courageous! Effective immediately, I need you to stop allowing fear to stop you from doing what you ought to be doing! The life you want to live is yours if you only make bravery part of your daily routine!

I am not advising that you stop being afraid because fear is not what is holding you back…. it is allowing fear to paralyze you that is the problem. Having courage is about turning your dreams into reality no matter what! Knowing that nothing can stop you, and you have nothing to lose!

Starting today and until forever, make sure you are conquering at least one fear each day! If it scares you to death but you know that’s what you should be doing…..then do it!! Your best life lives on the other side of fear!! Be brave and take what’s yours!!
-Ash’Cash

“The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one minute to the next.” -Mignon McLaughlin

“Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.” -Arthur Koestler

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear – not absence of fear.” -Mark Twain

“Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.” -Dr. Robert Anthony

“Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you’re scared to death.” -Earl Wilson

“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.” -Unknown

“Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.” -Paulo Coelho

“Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -Christopher Robin to Pooh

TO HEAR THE AUDIO VERSION OF THE DAILY WORD – CLICK HERE.

Ash’Cash is a Business Consultant, Motivational Speaker, Financial Expert and the author of Mind Right, Money Right: 10 Laws of Financial Freedom. For more information, please visit his website, www.IamAshCash.com.

MC Lyte joins actors and actresses like Nia Long, Affion Crockett, Samuel L. Jackson, Naturi Naughton, Jill Marie Jones and Tatyana Ali have teamed with organization Greater Than AIDS,

The celebs will use their star power to help shed light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which is impacting Black Americans in record numbers.

New data released shows that Black Americans account for half of the approximately 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in United States.

To compound the problem, blacks represent 44 percent of new infections, although they make up just 12 percent of the population.

MC Lyte and the celebrities partnered with Greater Than AIDS and The Black AIDS Institute, to release a special PSA to mark National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which is today (February 7).

“This is an unprecedented response from the Black Hollywood community to an issue that has touched so many of our lives,” said Phill Wilson, President and CEO, Black AIDS Institute.

Each celebrity in the campaign are all members of the Black AIDS Institute’s Black Hollywood Task Force on AIDS.

They works to engage the Hollywood community in an effort to fight HIV/AIDS.

“The artists and executives who have joined us in this campaign realize that no matter the celebrity, they are also members of the Black community, and they are trying to do their part,” Phill Wilson said.

With 38, 387 points, six NBA Championship titles, six Most Valuable Player awards, and 19 All-Star appearances, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has reached a status of greatness that only a few out of millions of athletes have attained in the world of sports. However, that greatness doesn’t stop in the sports arena for Abdul-Jabbar, as he’s made it a priority to educate today’s generation of kids about the importance of Black History in America.

With the recent release of his film, On The Shoulders of Giants, the basketball legend takes us through the journey of The Harlem Renaissance and the basketball team associated with it – one that time has seemingly forgotten. It’s definitely a must-see for basketball fans and those interested in learning about a pivitol piece of its history. The documentary, which makes its cable network premiere on Showtime on February 9 at 8:30p.m., also includes priceless commentary from sports legends, entertainers, and educators.

In addition to the film, Abdul-Jabbar has also released a new children’s book called What Color is my World? The Lost History of African-American Inventors, which tells the story of a young boy named Herbie and his sister Ella as they learn about all of the great Black inventors that have been left out of traditional history books. AllHipHop.com sat down with the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and newly appointed U.S. Global Cultural Ambassador before his book signing in Los Angeles to talk about the film, Black history, and the imperative behind his new book:

AllHipHop.com: Although it was recently released on DVD, your On The Shoulders of Giants documentary is going to make its cable premiere on Showtime this week. Please tell the audience about this great film.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I always wanted to do something about the Harlem Renaissance and the Harlem Rens basketball team that kind of slipped by the attention of everybody, because they were before the NBA. People are really unaware of how good they were and what they meant to the game. This documentary is an opportunity for me to talk about all of those things. Harlem is where I was born, and I’m very proud of my community.

AllHipHop.com: The musical style of that era was Jazz, and you incorporate a lot of that in to this movie.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Harlem Rens played at the Harlem Renaissance Casino, and that was also a dancehall. All of the great Jazz players played there like Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, and Fletcher Henderson. After the games, they would have a dance because they were played on the same floor. You would see a game and then have Cab Calloway play until like 2 or 3 in the morning.

I heard the stories from my father. He was aware of the Rens and what they did as a great basketball team, and he also went to the Renaissance Casino at certain times to dance. The Renaissance and The Savoy were the two great dancehalls in Harlem.

AllHipHop.com: You also have a new children’s book out called What Color is my World? What inspired you to make this?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Basically, it’s a situation with kids and their history books only dealing with Black Americans in regards to the issues of slavery and civil rights. By doing this book, I was able to point out another field that Black Americans have been very capable of and their contributions to the American way of life – that very few people know a little about.

AllHipHop.com: The book talks about African Americans who came up with inventions such as open-heart surgery and blood banks. It would be nice if these things were taught on a normal basis instead of just Black History Month.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: It should be taught on a regular basis because it’s American History. The fact that these inventions were initiated by Black Americans caused it be suppressed or ignored, because it wasn’t done by the mainstream culture. These achievements happened in America, and they were initiated by Americans. They just happened to be of African descent and not European descent. Because of this, we now have a division in teaching historical accomplishments instead of a continual one – and it doesn’t make much sense.

AllHipHop.com: You hold the All-Time NBA Scoring record. Do you think it will ever be broken?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see, but I guess that’s why they keep records [laughter].

AllHipHop.com: Any thoughts on the Lakers this year?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: No. I’m not the coach, so I really don’t feel comfortable speaking on that.

AllHipHop.com: I understand. How about Hip-Hop music? Do you have any thoughts on it?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: I don’t really listen to Hip-Hop music – because there’s not much music to it [laughter]. I know that its foundation is in other genres like Jazz. Chuck D is a real musical historian and an expert on this subject. He did some music for the documentary along with will.i.am. My whole thing in doing the documentary, I was trying to find a way to connect the present generation with the generation of The Rens because all of those things are related. Swing, Jazz, Big Opera – those genres are fathers and grandfathers of what you now call Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: What is your message to this current generation?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: My whole message is that knowledge is power. I think when young people understand what went on before them – and the values that helped those things come in to existence – that they will figure out what they want to do in order to build on them.