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Blu Chip [BGA] “Forever”
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Alternative Heat: Jhene Aiko “For My Brother”
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Yung Berg Ft. Los and Mickey Shiloah “Rock Bottom”
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Skyy Vegas “I’m Back Now”
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Hip-Hop’s Cultural Comebacks: When Everything Old is New Again
They say there’s nothing new under the sun. That definitely seems to be true when it comes to cultural trends. Remember Dwayne Wayne’s glasses? Well, if not, just take a ride past your nearest high school. Many of the trends you remember from skinny jeans to jean skirts, from oversized sweatshirts to combat boots, are back in style and in a major way.
There are some cultural trends that are making a welcome comeback, like around-the-way girls with extensions in their hair, and bamboo earrings (at least two pair). Janet Jackson’s “dookie” braids from Poetic Justice are back. Colored Levi’s and Converse are reemerging on the scene as well. Still, there are also some trends that we hope never return – like Cross Colours, Starter Jackets, and pump sneakers.
All this week, AllHipHop.com ponders the “Age Effect” on Hip-Hop, both then and now. As we reflect on the youth of our culture, we take a look at some of the cultural trends that were once old, but are now brand new again.
High Top Fades
In high school, all the boys I loved rocked high top fades. The high top was one of the most original and unique haircuts black culture had seen since the Afro. Popularized in the late 1980s, Big Daddy Kane rocked it best, Kwame rocked it most creatively, and Kid, well… Kid rocked it the highest and flyest. Once the high top fade phenomenon fizzed in the mid ’90s, I was sure that it would never be seen nor heard from again.
But in recent years, high school boys all across the country have been rocking the high top again. From plain black to accented with streaks of blond or red, the high top is making a triumphant return in classrooms and prom pictures by young men who may have had a father with the same hairstyle. Of all the cultural comebacks, this one probably brings back some of the best memories.
Skinny Jeans
In the 1950s, jeans had no choice but to be skinny. When Elvis shimmied in his Levi’s, they were cut to fit. The cut remained the same for almost 20 years, when the disco era rocked them funky and flared. The ’80s saw the skinny cut come back in for a brief moment, until the ’90s when what some would call the influence of “jail culture” saw young people rocking their jeans baggier with no belts. Now, skinny jeans are back again in a big way. As hipsters create their own cool culture, and urban style icons include eclectic personalities like Lil Wayne, Pharrell and Kanye West, skinny jeans have made their way from the punk rock underground back to the streets.
Asymmetric Haircuts
The young ladies are also rocking throwback haircuts. There was no hairstyle more definitive of the ’80s for urban teen girls than “The Asymmetric.” Named so because it was short on one side and long on the other, this hairstyle was taken mainstream by Salt N’ Pepa who were as known for their hairstyle as they were for their rhymes.
The asymmetric haircut has been rocked recently by Rihanna, Megan Good, and young women all around the country. In fact, Alicia Keys recently cut her long locks into an asymmetric and debuted it on Instagram.
These are just a few of the cultural trends that we are happy to see returning again. What were some of your favorite trends from your youth? And if you’re on the younger end of the Hip-Hop spectrum, which ones do you hope make a comeback, and which ones will you never, ever rock?
EXCLUSIVE: Yelawolf On Recording From The Back of a Bus and Why There Is No MGK Beef
(AllHipHop News Feature) First off, all talk about having words with other rappers aside, Shady/Interscope’s Yelawolf has been working.
The Alabama MC and renowned word flipper recently sat down with AllHipHop.com at DJ Skee’s infamous Skee Lodge in Los Angeles, California, to give us a firsthand breakdown of the concept behind his most recent effort Heart of Dixie, produced by Alabama’s own M16 and hosted by DJ Frank White.
Yelawolf says he spontaneously put out the collective of songs for fans earlier this month, and has since stayed busy also working with Travis Barker on their dual effort called, Psycho White. To boot, in addition to the aforementioned projects, Yelawolf has also been putting touches on the follow up to his acclaimed Trunk Muzik, dubbed Trunk Muzik Returns.
“Me, M16 and DJ Frank White are all from Alabama, so the name [Heart of Dixie] was fitting, and we just ran with it and the title; it’s just us coming together,” Yelawolf explained. “This was just a burner for me to get in there write and just get some sh*t off lyrically; you know, M16 flexing some beats, Frank White, just having fun. I mean, really, [M16] shot me some beats, and I recorded it on the back of the bus while I was touring. And we dropped it just’ cause I really just want to rap. ”
Heart of Dixie may be Yelawolf’s personal therapy, coming amidst recent comments that he made about his label Interscope not releasing as many singles as he would have liked. In the aftermath Yelawolf says that while he is still happy with his label situation despite the release issues, he felt the MC urge to give the fans something, given the lull of released material:
“I just wanted something to – well, I feel like I hadn’t dropped anything, and I didn’t want to put just anything out there. But at the same time, I didn’t want to f*ckin’ work on something for two months. I wanted to just go knock some sh*t out and put it out, not caring about sh*t but the statement of I’m still around, like, ‘I’m still around motha f**ker.’ Like, I’m still here and I’m writing.”
The music is priority number one, still there were questions to be answered about recent beef, and “Catfish Billy” as his fans call him, reluctantly and yet candidly offered a few answers regarding the purported beef with Cleveland rapper MGK.
“Where does our September run start? Alabama? Huntsville, Alabama? “Slumerican” tour begins. It’s an amazing tour; it’s gonna be incredible and breathtaking, circus tricks and all that sh*t,” Yelawolf said jokingly. “All that other sh*t can…I’m exhausted with nonsense. I just don’t know how to f*ckin’…everybody’s f*ckin’…if anybody, man, I don’t have any problems with f*ckin’ nobody in the world.”
But, there was more.
“Man, I put it like this, I wish MGK the best. I hope his career pans out, and I wish the best for him, like period. I don’t want problems with nobody. And, you know, outside of MGK, or to MGK, this is for anybody, if you f*ck with me, you’re f*ckin’ up, like for real. Like, just don’t f*ck with me, because I don’t f*ck with nobody. I’m like the old man on the front porch not f*ckin’ with nobody – with the loaded shotgun.
“I’m not f*ckin’ with nobody, so don’t come over here with that sh*t. Keep it over there, because, the team…it’s just… There’s nothing to say, if there was something to say, then it would be said, and it would be handled. But I wish that dude the best; I wish everyone the best.”
Yelawolf and tour mates will hit cities such as Jacksonville, Memphis, New Orleans, Brooklyn, Las Vegas, Nashville, and more, before wrapping the tour up on November 17 in Atlanta, Georgia.
50 Cent Goes In On Oscar De La Hoya
(AllHipHop News) Rapper 50 Cent is already shaking up the boxing world, after getting into a war of words with boxer Oscar De La Hoya, via Twitter.
50, who has jumped into the world of boxing via The Money Team Promotions (TMT Promotions), recently landed his New York promoters permit, and has one pending in Nevada.
Last night, he began taunting the world-famous boxer, who currently promotes Floyd Mayweather via his company Golden Boy Promotions.
“I don’t gamble Floyd do, but I bet you won’t be promoting Floyd Mayweather no more. TMT,” 50 Cent tweeted last night (July 25) making reference to the new Money Team company.
From there 50’s taunts got worse.
“Baby girl,@oscardelahoya, baby girl you here [sic] me,stop hating STOP IT RIGH[T] NOW.”
Oscar De La Hoya replied to the comments last night as well, but has since deleted most of them.
“your a boxing promoter? good luck maybe we can work someday. #success #nextgeneration #GBB #TMT,” De La Hoya tweeted.
50 kept on the pressure on the boxer and took another shot at Oscar De La Hoya’s masculinity.
“Great back pedal,can you swim backwards like that to girl?lol I except that as a apology.#GBB #TMT more success a head.”
Floyd Mayweather is currently incarcerated at the Clark County Detention Center in Los Angeles, for domestic battery charges.
He is scheduled to be released from prison on August 3.
Rick Ross Ft. Andre 3000 “Sixteen”
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Yelawolf Sets The Record Straight On Upcoming Releases; Says “Psycho White EP” Is Complete
(AllHipHop News) Shady Records recording artist Yelawolf has provided updates on a number of projects he has int he works including the Psycho White EP with Travis Barker, Trunk Muzik Returns, Country Cuzins with Big K.R.I.T. and his sophomore album Love Story.
While speaking to The Source, Yelawolf revealed that his Psycho White EP with Travis Barker is complete, and that the final details just need to be “wrapped up.”
“I think that’s next up,” Yela shared. “That will be the next thing people hear. Then after Psycho White, Trunk Muzik Returns and then probably after that Country Cousins and then going on into 2013 it will be Love Story. But yeah, Psycho White is next.”
He continued, “That’s going to be available for sale, I believe. Now they just have to figure out how they want to distribute it. I’m not sure exactly where because Travis [Barker] has a bunch of places where he could put it… but its definitely going to be distributed soon.”
Yelawolf also shared that the follow-up to his 2009 mixtape, Trunk Muzik, is about “halfway done” and that, although it is an absolute reality, work on Country Cuzins with K.R.I.T. has yet to begin.
In addition to the full plate of releases that Yelawolf has in the pipeline, the Alabama native can be seen touring with Rittz, Trouble Andrew and DJ Vajra on the “Slumerican Tour” beginning on September 3 and lasting until mid-November.
Check out all that Yelawolf had to say to The Source here.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Love And Hip-Hop Atlanta Reunion Cancelled?
This show “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta” has all the people out chea talking. Oh, how we love RATCHET! Anyway, even the show is still airing, taping has been over. And now they are working on the obligatory reunion special. But, sources with Freddy O are saying that the reunion show has been cancelled, because these people just cannot get along. Apparently producer Mona Scott Young will conduct some sort of one-on-one interview with the players. “There’s only four episodes left, and we’re not going to have a reunion show. The cast doesn’t get along. The boys hate the boys and the girls hate the girls.”
..or not…
Slaughterhouse “Weight Scale”
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LEP Bogus Boys [BGA] “Benjamin Franklin” Produced by Jahlil Beats
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Ice-T Responds To Rush Limbaugh’s Rant – “I’m Also A Veteran”
(AllHipHop News) Ice-T escalated his war of words with Rush Limbaugh via Twitter, after the right-wing talking head called the rapper out on his popular talk show “The Rush Limbaugh Show.”
Rush Limbaugh blasted Ice-T on his show Monday (July 24), after the rapper defended gun rights on during an interview about the Aurora, Colorado shootings that left 12 people dead on July 20.
“I’ll give up my gun when everyone else does,” Ice-T told UK Channel 4 News after the shootings. “If there were guns here would you want to be the only person with out one? The right to bear arms because that’s the last defense against tyranny, not to hunt. It’s to protect yourself from the police. If somebody wants to kill people, they don’t need a gun to do it. You can strap explosives on your body, they do that all the time.”
The comments didn’t sit well with Rush Limbaugh, who took aim at Ice-T on his daily show.
“There’s Ice-T saying the only reason we got guns in America is ‘to protect yourself from the police,'” Rush Limbaugh laughed. “Well, we’re told, ‘Hey, its cultural. We gotta understand it from the cultural standpoint. That’s where Mr. T’s [Ice-T] is coming from.” He knew the word ‘tyranny’ and he knows that tyranny comes from government representatives. Double impressive. Tyranny doesn’t come from media figures, or actors.”
Ice-T replied to Rush Limbaugh’s comments yesterday evening, and continued to discuss the issue today (July 25).
“Before you challenge me do your research,” Ice-T tweeted. “I’ve lectured at Stanford, Princeton & Harvard to name a few… I just might be smarter than YOU.”
Ice took aim at today’s rapper’s as well, claiming the new breed of emcees are less politicized than the previous generation of artists.
“I love how people are soooo SHOCKED to hear something thought-provoking said by a rapper.. Hip Hop has changed to POP .. Nobody says s###. My comment on guns got a lot of press.. They call me ‘Gangster’ don’t forget ‘US Army Vet.’ A little gun history.”
Ice-T labeled Rush Limbaugh a “racist piece of s**t” and told his 272,673 followers that if they supported Rush Limbaugh or Bill O’Reilly, they should stop following him.
“No matter what.. There will ALWAYS be two sides to every issue.. Have the courage to chose one,” Ice-T advised.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Rick Ross Has Some Choice Words For The “Batman” Killer
Rick Ross has stepped up to speak out against James Holmes, the man accused of killing 12 people and injuring scores more in a movie theater last week. Rozay has no mercy for the killer and expressed some choice words for him on a recent interview with Power 106. Check out what he said below:
“I send my condolences out to the family members of the victims. It’s just so senseless. You think you’re in the movie and as I watched him today sitting in the courtroom, now he dizzy. Now he dazed. With all the pictures of him and everything that was leading up to the event, he’s smiling and doing this and that. Now you dazed. Don’t be dazed now. We need you to be focused when this comes down on you, because that was senseless. It’s unfortunate. … Don’t be blinkin’ and all that. It could be one of his approaches to his defense, he’s going to act like he ain’t know what was going on. But that ain’t gon’ help you on this one.”
Preach!
Epic Win: Man Raped To Death By Women?
Looks like people are dying in stranger and stranger ways. Well, here is the latest. A Nigerian business man has 6 wives and, boy, he must have started a fire he couldn’t put out. The man was apparently of great wealth. He was in the process of having sex with his youngest wife when the other 5 stormed into the bedroom, apparently from the woods. They apparently attacked the man with weapons like knives and sticks. But, it gets better/worse. They forced him into sex with all of them. Uroko Onoja then had sex with three more of his wives. When the fourth was about to get her sh*t off, he stopped breathing. Two of the women have been arrested for killing this brother, who apparently contributed positively to the local community. Well…I’m not sure how clear the term “rape” applies here, but at least he went…feeling something of pleasure. Maybe.
Hip-Hop Rumors: Which Rapper Is Moving To London?
Jay Electronica is not the only American rapper who left the good ole U.S. of A for the comforts of London. According to Essence, the pitbull in a skirt, also known as Eve, has decided to relocate across the pond. Check out what she said about the move in a recent interview below:
“Well, I’ve relocated to London, so right now, it’s London. I walk everywhere when I’m there. It’s so eclectic. It’s New York on steroids. There are so many cultures and sounds, and people and fashion. Chicks are so fly. I live in a neighborhood where there’s a lot of West Indian culture, so it’s nice. I have to always come back because my mother would kill me if I didn’t, but right now that’s where I’m at.”
Dang, what happened to Eve’s musical comeback? I was feeling the teaser track she released with Swizz Beatz, “Mama’s In The Kitchen.” Hmm, maybe Eve and Jay Elect will get into the studio and cook up a track for us. I wonder what that would sound like?
VIDEO: Lecrae Previews New Album “Gravity” And Speaks On His State Of Mind In 2012
With a new album on deck for September and a North American tour ready to begin in October, Reach Records’ Lecrae isn’t showing a single sign of slowing down, which is a good thing since all eyes are seemingly on him in 2012.
Lecrae invited a few media outlets and industry friends to preview his new studio album Gravity at The Cutting Room last week, and they got a chance to hear the man himself speak on his state of mind now that he has been given an even bigger push from the mainstream than any other faith-based rapper has.
It’s not a label he boasts, still the inspirational overtones to his music are unmistakeable. And from outside his typical set, he’s receiving co-signs from people like Bun B and more.
Gravity begins with an influx of instruments like violin, drums, guitars, as Lecrae rapidly spits lines like “I’ve seen more trials than Cochran,” that immediately grabs your attention. This was a good sign of what was to come from the rest of Gravity’s material, and it surely did not disappoint.
“I want to walk with Jesus but my legs too heavy,” Lecrae raps on “Walk With Me” which also features Novel. “They say change coming but it’s feeling like forever.”
“Confessions” played and told the common story about money not always making people happy. “They don’t believe in karma/ they just believe in commas,” he raps. Lecrae’s song for the ladies, “Buttons,” was next and was followed by one of the hardest sounding beats on the album, “I Know.”
For Gravity Lecrae worked with both the Heat Academy and The Watchmen among others; however, his relationship with these two producing teams has resulted in some of his most powerful songs, so it was great to hear their presence on the new album. Although not one to let his long-standing producers have all the fun, Lecrae made sure that other producers were heard and felt as well, and that’s where DJ Khalil comes in.
Khalil produced “Mayday,” one of the album’s standout records, which also features Big K.R.I.T. The song was easily one of the most organic sounding tracks on Gravity, and featured a beautiful melody and hook sung by Ashton Jones from “American Idol”.
“Violence” was a personal favorite, and also one of the most energetic songs that was played. The caribbean-esque record was produced by Tyshan, and finds Lecrae spitting one of his most powerful lines: “Grew up under Tupac, bible verse and two glocks.”
Overall, it appears that Lecrae is ready to offer one of his most broad and, dare-we-say, mainstream albums in terms of sound; yet, it still manages to capture the trueness of what he has always stood for and rapped about. If anything, Gravity is a giant step forward for his expanding career, and it will surely be a welcome addition to many “Top 10” lists when 2012 comes to a close.
Following the listening session, Lecrae spoke to AllHipHop.com about the direction he went in with Gravity, as well as the overall sound of the album and the balance he finds between “preaching” and “rapping.” He also spoke on the continuing support of his fans, and how they’ve reacted to having more eyes on him. Lastly, Lecrae spoke on one of his idols, Tupac, and his relationship with Mississippi native Big K.R.I.T., who appears on Gravity.
Check out our exclusive interview with Lecrae below:
Gravity will be in stores on September 4 via Reach Records
Follow Lecrae On Twitter: (@Lecrae)
Ticket Giveaway For Slick Rick and @BizMarkie From @AllHipHopcom
AllHipHop.com has teamed up with Move Forward Music to give away a pair of tickets to see Slick Rick and Biz Markie at Gramercy Theatre in New York City on Sat, Jul 28 at 7:30PM.
All New York City area fans only, please go to our Twitter page at @AllHipHopcom, and tweet “I want to see Slick Rick and @BizMarkie via @AllHipHopcom” to have a chance to win your free tickets to see Slick Rick and Biz Markie at Gramercy Theatre.
So get on Twitter and tweet for your tickets NOW. The deadline is Thursday, July 26 at 4PM EST.
For details on the show, click HERE.
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Jadakiss, Kevin Hart, Raekwon and More Reveal Their Favorite New Artists of 2012
With so many amazing new artists sprouting up everywhere in 2012, it can be hard to pick a favorite. From Meek Mill in Philly, to Danny Brown in Detroit, all the way to Canada for Reema Major and JD Era – these are some of the new artists whose music is peaking the interest of celebrities and fellow artists alike.
AllHipHop.com spoke with Jadakiss, Kevin Hart, Raekwon, Jazzy Pha, and more to learn all about who their favorite new artists are.
Check out the video below to find out who said that Danny Brown gives them “the chills,” who is vouching for Don Trip, and who is proclaiming Reema Major as the new “it girl” in Hip-Hop.