Who Did J Cole Sign? Peep J Cole's Newest Signee, Cozz

By: Jake CratesCategory: VideosJanuary 26, 2015

Get to know West Coast rapper Cozz who recently signed with J Cole last summer. In this All Def Digital piece Cozz lets us know who he is and how he got started with Hip-Hop. Growing up in a gang-affiliated neighborhoods, Cozz is leaving the past behind him as he just recently hit the stage for his first performance ever with J. Cole on his “Dollar & a Dream” tour. Currently Cozz is promoting his project, Cozz & Effect, which is out now online. You can hear his song “Knock the Hustle” ft J Cole below the interview.

ALTERNATIVE PICK – Sade Serena – "All Natural

By: Jake CratesCategory: MusicJanuary 26, 2015

BET Music Matters and Uprize/Island Def Jam artist Sade Serena drops her new track is entitled ” All Natural” that has been getting positive reviews online thus far from a host of R&B centric sites. The song has also gotten some looks from places like Vibe Vixen as Ms Serenade is getting comparisons to Rihanna and others with music that carries pop sensibilities. The track is off her new EP due out this Spring that is the follow up release to her project, GermiNation which charted on 2 separate Billboard charts.

Master P & Ace B – "Drug Dealer"

By: Scooby Wilson (@mcscoobins)Category: MusicJanuary 26, 2015

Master P and Ace B, the two New Orleans natives team up on the new mixtape CP3. CP3 is the abbreviation for Calliope Projects where both superstar MCs were born and raised. Only after two weeks after the mixtape release of the Money Mafia, over 2.5 million downloads and the streets are still buzzing.

The OG Master P and his young conrad Ace B decide to leak the first single
“Drug Dealer” from the most anticipated album on the streets. The Ice Cream Man says that “Drug Dealer” is the metaphor for “crack music” and they’re delivering their dope addictive sounds to their street fan base and it’s time for No Limit Records to get the industry hooked again.

Master P and Ace B are hustling music like narcotics and they’re using the studio as their block. Every DJ, club and fan are waiting to get a hit of the new single “Drug Dealer” featuring Alley Boy, Blacknmild and Young Junne. February 9th, 2015 is when Master P and Ace B gets the world hooked on CP3 the mixtape, No Limit is independent and one of the most powerful record companies in the world, Master P is back on his hustle, can’t stop the tank, “Drug Dealer” is a smash, young and old fans are getting addicted to No Limit’s dope music.

Tha Joker ft K Camp, RiFF RAFF & Raven Felix – "FHITO"

By: Jake CratesCategory: MusicJanuary 26, 2015

Tha Joker teams up with K Camp, RiFF RAFF and Raven Felix for the party anthem “FHITO”. Produced by Doughboy Beatz, Tha Joker follows up his recent Frio mixtape with the star studded collabo.

YGG Tay (Freebandz) – "Rich Before Rap"

By: Jake CratesCategory: MusicJanuary 26, 2015

With new artists constantly taking the scene by storm, Baltimore’s own and Freebandz affiliate YGG Tay is next up and he will be a well known name before the year is through. Tay’s previously released DJ Plugg-produced single “Why You So Mad” has been racking up views since it dropped back in October and today it finds a home on Rich Before Rap. The new mixtape is filled with 16 tracks that come with work from the likes of Young, Scooter, Metro Boomin, TM88, London On Da Track, Aubz of Mike WiLL’s EarDrummers, and more. Check the single below!

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Rocky Diamonds (signed to Polow Da Don's Zone 4) Breaks Down "Influenced" Mixtape

By: Jake CratesCategory: VideosJanuary 26, 2015

Chicago born and Minneapolis raised rapper, Rocky Diamonds, 1/5 of the rap group MDMA signed to Zone 4/Epic Records, sits down with DJ Smallz and breaks down his new mixtape, “Influenced”, providing further insight from the artwork to a couple records, featuring guest verses from Spenzo and Tory Lanez.

P### Star Laughs At Drake!

By: YourfavenightmareCategory: RumorsJanuary 26, 2015

Nooooooooooo!

This is not how it should be. P### stars as supposed be enamored by a man like Drake, but that is not what happened. Mia Khalifa, who is one of the top p#### chicks in the world, seems to think Drizzy is something to laugh at. She said that Drake sent her a half naked picture of himself that was “cringe-worthy.” Yikes!
“It was so cringe-worthy. The whole thing was cringe-worthy,” she told Mia told The Man Cave.

If you should so care, click here to listen.

Film That Co-Stars ASAP Rocky Sells For $7 Million To Sony During Sundance Film Festival

By: Tanay Hudson (@NYStateOfMind2)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

The film that ASAP Rocky made his acting debut in sparked a bidding war after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah over the weekend. The Rick Famuyiwa-directed flick Dope ended up being bought by Open Road Films for $7 million, beating out fellow film studio, The Weinstein Company.

[ALSO READ: Watch The Trailer For ASAP Rocky’s Film Debut In ‘Dope’ (VIDEO)]

Dope, which was produced by Pharell and Diddy, takes places in the crime-infested streets of The Bottoms neighborhood of Inglewood, CA. Its protagonist is a 90s hip-hop loving, book smart teen who endures the daily side effects of living in the ‘hood but has his sights set on attending Harvard University.

This good news comes at a rough time for Rocky. He buried his best friend and ASAP Mob founder ASAP Yams yesterday (Jan.25). Yams died last weekend (Jan.18) at the age of 26.

itsADOLLA – "Working That" ft iLoveMakonnen

By: Jake CratesCategory: MusicJanuary 26, 2015

itsADOLLA from East Orlando recently released his freshman mixtape titled Witness – executive produced by TCMG with additional production from The Speaker Knockerz. itsADOLLA gets help on features from a host of talent on the tape including Gunplay, King Los, OG Maco, Cory Gunz, iloveMakonnen and more. Here is the single featuring OVO affiliate iLoveMakonnen. Make sure to check out the Witness project here via Soundcloud.

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah Announce New Film, The Purple Tape Files

By: @SimplyCeciliaCategory: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

It’s been nearly 20 years since Raekwon released his debut album, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Now he’s teamed up with fellow Wu-Tang Clan pioneer Ghostface Killah to unveil a documentary commemorating the classic LP, offering an advanced screening at this year’s annual Sundance Film festival.

Titled The Purple Tape Files, the project will give fans an in-depth analysis of how the legendary album came into existence. The film will also focus on how the release changed the game, and features AllHipHop.com’s own Steve Raze as one of the Producers of the film.

Speaking to Complex the duo explained, “Most importantly is about the people being able to get all the answers that they wanted when they heard this album,” Raekwon said. “‘Cause we was young boys, we was in our prime so getting that shot to really impress the world with your music, we didn’t never think it will be embraced so hardly like this. And 20 years later is time for you to see this film to go into the file cabinets on how this was made.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2697jJX4KIA

More information on this film can be found on Raekwon’s crowd funding page at Fanbacked.com/Raekwon.

Eve And Jill Scott Wish Iggy Azalea Would Embrace Australian Culture More (VIDEO)

By: Tanay Hudson (@NYStateOfMind2)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

To promote their original Lifetime movie, With This Ring, Eve and Jill Scott stopped by Sway in The Morning. During their convo, the two Philly natives gave their views on the Aussie femcee Iggy Azalea, who has been the topic of cultural appropriation debates lately.

Eve said she understood how hip-hop fans could be uncomfortable, but says she understands how Iggy could be so heavily influenced by the hip-hop culture.

“Yea she’s white but they grew up with our s###,” she said. “Hip-hop is everywhere, every neighborhood, every country, every city…She’s representing a group of girls right now as well. I think people right now are too quick to give too many accolades to new people. That’s the one thing I just can’t stand. Let her do her thing. It’s not my cup of tea but she’s representing for somebody.”

Jill Scott said she has difficulty accepting Iggy’s sound.

“It’s a little challenging for me because I come from the era that she pulled from,” said the Philly songstress. “To me, it’s a mixture of Da Brat and Eve. That’s what it sounds like to me, so that’s a little challenging for me. But I’m a mixture of Sarah Vaughan and five other things so for somebody else that comes from that era, they’d be like ‘You aight.’ So that has been the only thing that stops me, is that I know where that comes from. It sounds like a big bite to me.”

Eve also deemed Iggy’s faux American cadence when she raps a “blaccent” and says she wishes the “Black Widow” rapper would embrace her Austrailian culture more.

“It would be dope to hear her with her swag. What are you, who are you and what is that? That’s the only reason I say that. They (Austrailians) are so dope!”

Watch the full interview below.

Chris Brown Is An Identity Theft Victim

By: Tanay Hudson (@NYStateOfMind2)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

Chris Brown has yet another legal woe, but he won’t be getting hauled off to jail.

Last year when he was sent to jail for leaving rehab, he had to fly from the west to the east coast to face a judge regarding assault charges. During his trek from Los Angeles to Washington D.C, he stopped at the San Bernardino County Jail. For his one or two-day layover he had to be issued a jail ID card and when his stay was over his ID was left with the inmates. Now, someone is reportedly trying to sell the ID for $10,000 online.

After Breezy’s lawyer Mark Geragos found out about the sale, he headed down to the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department and an investigation was launched. A suspect has been identified but he is claiming he got the ID from someone else. The police are currently looking into how the card got out of the proper hands and if any fraudulent activity has taken place.

Big Sean Announces Third Album, 'Dark Sky Paradise'

By: Tanay Hudson (@NYStateOfMind2)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

Big Sean took to his Instagram yesterday (Jan. 25) to unveil the cover art for his upcoming third album, Dark Sky Paradise.

DJ Mustard, DJ Dahi, Boi-1da and Vinylz have laced the project with beats while Drake, Jhene Aiko, Kanye West, Travis Scott, E-40 and PARTYNEXTDOOR are expected to supply guest features.

The project does not have a release date but since its first single “IDFWU” is still going strong, a second single and release date should be on the way. The D-Town rep let fans know that the album is completed when he posted the simple message, “done” to his Twitter timeline last night.

When he sat down with the Breakfast Club in December 2014, he said fans could expect the project to have a dark aura to it (hence the album cover).

“It’s kinda just a time capsule of my whole life in the last year,” said the Hall of Fame rapper. “So you can just imagine all the things I’ve been through. It’s all gon’ make sense when I drop the album, when I drop the title.”

Lend your ear below to a snippet of one of Sean’s tracks featuring Drake that is suspected to be on Dark Sky Paradise.

Three Questions With J Readi

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: FeaturesJanuary 26, 2015

Following in the footsteps of his iconic uncle Rakim, comes Long Island emcee J Readi. The rising lyricist began putting rhymes together in the second grade, and by the age of 16 he was already in the studio recording tracks professionally.

His famous relative was not the only musical influence on Readi. Growing up in a family of rhythmically talented individuals, Readi and his brother both learned to play the keyboard and the drums. But it was the microphone that eventually became the Strong Islander’s instrument of choice.

Readi made some crucial connections in the beginning stages of his career. He and his then rhyming partner Fresh hooked up with future superproducer Mike Will Made It in the mid 2000’s. A bond was formed between the Atlanta board master and the New York rapper that still exists today.

While on his early grind, Readi also contributed to The Fly Guy Family’s Rise Of The Empire mixtape and worked with Brooklyn’s indie champ Skyzoo. Then came his own solo project The Welcome Mat.

Up next, Readi is set to offer Radio Readi which will feature the newly released single “Insufficient Funds” and the forthcoming track “Young Gods.” Readi plans for the entire collection to provide a genuine feel of who he truly is as an individual, yet still remain personable to listeners.

AllHipHop.com spoke with J Readi for the “Three Questions” series. The interview includes the street poet giving his list of the top emcees of all time, reflecting on a classic Hip Hop film, and his m.o. for treating the ladies when the bank account happens to be low.

[ALSO READ: Three Questions With Anthony Kelley]

Who are your top 5 rappers dead or alive?

No order. I’m going to go with Jay and Nas. Those two are great, so you gotta put those two in there. I would say Eminem. This is tough, because there are so many. I really got a top 10. I want to say Andre 3000 and Pac.

If you could have starred in the role of any movie character played by a rapper, which one would you choose?

I’d want to be 2Pac in Juice. It was one of the movies that definitely influenced me and my music. Then of course unc [Rakim] being on the soundtrack was huge.

Pac’s character was kind of crazy. He’s the opposite of who I am as a person, but I think it would be interesting for me to play that kind of role… I’m the good guy in real life. [laughs]

What is a creative way to pull off a date when you have insufficient funds?

You gotta have that EBT card, so you can get whatever food you’re gonna need. I’m gonna buy the chocolates. I might even buy the Pop Secret. As long as the cable’s still hooked up, we’re gonna make sure we got the Netflix going. That’s the perfect date for me.

[ALSO READ: Three Questions With Khary Durgans]

Family Matters: J Readi + Uncle Rakim (via Instagram)

Follow J Readi on Twitter @JReadi and Instagram @jreadi.

Listen to J Readi’s “Insufficient Funds” below.

5 Ways To P### Off An Old School Hip-Hop Head

By: Chuck Creekmur (@ChuckCreekmur)Category: UncategorizedJanuary 26, 2015

Hip-Hop is in a whole new world now, even though the 80’s and 90’s are still met with fond recollections of a Golden Era long gone. The Hip-Hop heads of that era are now in their 30’s, 40’s and 50’s…or older. And these folks, by and large, are unhappy with the state of affairs in the rap game. We’ve seen this play out in a number of ways. We thought we’d run down a list of the primary things that annoy Older G’z about the present state of Hip-Hop.

1) “My Generation Is Doper Than The 90’s”

The main thing Old Heads take issue with the present day of Rap is that is ain’t like the good old days. Most forget that there was a plethora of garbage floating around the Hip-Hop universe at every turn. And, make no mistake…each era tends to like their own era. So, buck…don’t you ever think about saying Drake is better than Jay unless you want a real serious argument on your hands.

2) “On Fleek”

Just don’t say “on fleek” to anybody that has a real sense of Hip-Hop Culture from back in the day or they will likely roll their eyes like a pair of dice as they write you off for dead.

3) “Who is (Fill In The Blank With A Legend)?”

Please. You may not care , young buck. And, to some extent, that is OK. However, it is best to know who the hell the legends are in the culture of Hip-Hop. That’s like being a revolutionary and not knowing Malcolm X, but not Elijah Muhammad.

4) Gay-Like Hip-Hop

In the mainstream of Rap music, there have been more and more rappers with a penchant for traditional female tendencies. Back in their day, it was ok for acts like TLC and Boss to take their fashion cues from men. With Young Thug, Daylyte and a few choice others, they have flirted with gender-bending in rap, much to the chagrin of your average old head.

5) The Belief That ANY Rapper Is “Real” Today

The OG’s may OD on love (often mistranslated as hate) for current rap music, but a lot of that is because their era was before the culture was overrun with money and corporate interests. These older heads have a point. You could do like Suge, Just Ice, or Treach and there was no TMZ, Hip-Hop police or social media to blow up the spot. The “real” stayed in the streets. The crazy thing is, a lot of the young boys want to earn their stripes or are simply living the life. And the results are disastrous. Just look at the incarnation rate in the last few years. Anyway….yeah.

The writer of this text came into Hip-Hop as Run DMC bodied s**t. Admittedly, there were lyrical greats before them, like Kool Moe Dee and Grand Master Melle Mel. There are those that think Grand Master Caz and the aforementioned brothers are better than Run, D and Jay. So, this is an age old conversation, not limited to Drake, Iggy and Wayne.

50 Cent Wins MLB Network Award For Horrible First Pitch

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

(AllHipHop News) 50 Cent has already established a legacy as a platinum-selling rapper and successful businessman. The Queens native can now add award-winning pitcher to his list of accomplishments, sort of. The MLB Network honored Fiddy with a Social Media Award for “Most Memorable First Pitch.”

[ALSO READ: 50 Cent Reveals He Recorded A New Song With Eminem]

The G-Unit boss made headlines last May when he threw what has been called one of the worst ceremonial first pitches in baseball history. 50’s wild launch at that Mets game was so unforgettable he earned a trophy for the mishap. He shared the news on his Instagram page.

These people sent me,the most f*cked up pitch award. Ain't this a B####. Lmao But it ain't funny #SMSAUDIO #FRIGO #EFFENVODKA

Une photo publiée par 50 Cent (@50cent) le Janv. 23, 2015 at 1:39 PST

[ALSO READ: 50 Cent Throws Horrible First Pitch At Mets Game (VIDEO)]

For context on exactly how 50’s pitch matches up to other famous throws, check out the graph of “Best and Worst Ceremonial First Pitches” and relive 50’s athletic low point in the video below.

[mlbvideo id=”33211751″ width=”600″ height=”400″ /]

Hip-Hop Rumors: The Reason Why Kanye Doesn't Smile

By: KubeezzCategory: RumorsJanuary 26, 2015

When’s the least time you saw Kanye West smile? College Dropout days? Jk.

But its very rare to catch the oh-so-serious rapper cracking even a small grin these days.

Kanye detailed why he doesn’t smile during a speech at the Daily Front Row’s inaugural Fashion Los Angeles Awards.

E! News reports:

““Back when I was working on Yeezus, I saw this book from the 1800s and it was velvet-covered with brass and everything,” West said. “I looked at all these people’s photos and they look so real and their outfits were incredible and they weren’t smiling and people, you know the paparazzi, always come up to me, ‘Why you not smiling?’ and I think, not smiling makes me smile…When you see paintings in an old castle, people are not smiling cause it just wouldn’t look as cool.””

So there you have it. Kim isn’t making him so unhappy that he can’t bare to smile.

O.Z. – "Love Is A Drug"

By: Scooby Wilson (@mcscoobins)Category: VideosJanuary 26, 2015

With Pardon The Interruption still burning up the streets, O.Z. returns to visualize one of the several tracks from the mixtape tailored by super producer Metro Boomin. Directed by Bones Vision, the official video for “Love Is A Drug” finds the Florida native cozied up with something sexy at the top of a penthouse suite without alcohol or any other substance because in this case, love is his drug.

Hip-Hop Rumors: Mya Pop Lock And Drops During Strip Club Performance

By: KubeezzCategory: RumorsJanuary 26, 2015

When the checks stop coming…find a new profession.

At least that what seems to be the case with R&B singer Mya.

May took it back to the 90’s for her performance at G5 strip club in Miami Friday:

Part 2 Mya At G5 Last Night Performing To Her New Single! ! ?????

A video posted by DESTINED FOR GREATNESS (@flylifestyl3) on Jan 24, 2015 at 8:11am PST

Press Play: Oop! Look at #Mya getting it in at #G5 Strip Club last night in Miami! #DontHurtNobody @flylifestyl3

A video posted by The Shade Room (@theshaderoominc) on Jan 24, 2015 at 6:57am PST

As you can see Mya got a few dollars thrown her way onstage…smfh. This was one of my favorite singers back in the day…

"House Party" Cast Perform The Movie's Famous Dance Sequences At Alicia Keys Party (VIDEO)

By: Yohance Kyles (@HUEYmixwitRILEY)Category: NewsJanuary 26, 2015

(AllHipHop News) The four leads of the 1990 movie House Party dusted off their kicks and got back on the dance floor at Alicia Keys’ birthday party. According to TMZ, the singer’s husband, Swizz Beatz, got Kid ‘n Play to perform for the celebration. Fellow cast mates Tisha Campbell and AJ Johnson also recreated their famous dance scene from the Hip Hop cult classic.

[ALSO READ: Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz Welcome New Son]

Kid ‘n Play rocked the crowd with their signature footwork. Campbell and Johnson did not miss a step as the ladies showed they could still pull off the House Party battle moves 25 years later. The only thing missing was Martin Lawrence yelling at Chill for bumping the table while he was trying to mix the records.

[ALSO READ: Kid N Play Return…Because Of “Funny Business”]

Watch the House Party cast take it back to the 9-0 in the video below.