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VH1 Hip-Hop Honors To Celebrate Def Jam

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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While this year’s VH1 Hip Hop Honors ceremony will mark six years since VH1 started the annual tradition of celebrating the best in Hip-Hop culture, it will mark two firsts as well.

 

VH1 has announced that this year’s award ceremony, to be held on Tuesday, October 12, will pay homage to Def Jam Records in recognition of the legendary label’s 25th anniversary.

 

This year will also mark the star-studded event’s departure from the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, relocating to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Howard Gilman Opera House in Brooklyn, New York.

 

30 Rock star and Saturday Night Live alum Tracy Morgan will reprise his role as host for the third consecutive year.

 

Former Yo! MTV Raps host Fab 5 Freddie and author/filmmaker Nelson George will also continue to serve as the program’s executive producers.

 

In previous years, the VH1 Hip Hop Honors have celebrated the accomplishments and contributions of pioneering artists including KRS-One, Public Enemy, Sugarhill Gang, Big Daddy Kane, Ice-T, Ice Cube, Rakim, Cypress Hill and MC-Lyte.

 

Through interviews with the honorees and their peers and tribute performances by newer artists, the program has simultaneously allowed the original Hip-Hop generation to reminisce while introducing the next generation to those who paved the way.

 

Each year, the VH1 Hip Hop Honors has also recognized iconic films, movies and individuals who helped to mold the culture, from the graffiti movement, honored in 2004, to R&B great Isaac Hayes, who was celebrated last year just two months after his untimely death.

 

However, 2009 will mark the first time a record label is commemorated.

 

“It is impossible to pay tribute to the best in Hip-Hop without recognizing Def Jam Records,” says VH1’s EVP of Music Production Lee Rolontz. “Throughout the years VH1 has honored numerous artists from the Def Jam label, but due to the magnificent impact that Def Jam as a company has made on not only Hip-Hop culture but pop culture as a whole, we thought they definitely deserved the opportunity to be honored.”

 

With Def Jam serving as this year’s top honoree, the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors promises not only a gathering of the bonafide superstars who have come to represent the label, either in the studio, like Public Enemy, Kanye West, Rick Ross and Rihanna; or in the office as Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, LA Reid and Jay-Z have done.

 

In addition to Def Jam’s musical legacy, VH1 Hip Hop Honors will also celebrate the Hip-Hop brand’s impact on comedy, spoken word, fashion and pop culture in general.

 

Additional details about the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors, including performers, presenters, specific honorees and related programming will be made available later this summer at VH1.com.

Budden to Meth & Busta: ‘We Rappers, Let’s Rap!’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Jersey lyricist Joe Budden is striking back at his critics over the fallout of his recent lyrical critique of former Def Jam colleague Method Man.

 

Last month, Budden drew the ire of veterans Busta Rhymes, Redman, Melle Mel, and Method Man after ridiculing the placement of the latter two above him on Vibe’s Greatest Emcees of All Time list.

 

After weeks of silence, Budden sat down with Miss Info to address the attacks against him.

 

“Everybody took offense…you name it, they took offense to it,” Budden began. “Number one I’m entitled to my opinion. If a n*gga get offended at me having an opinion, suck a d*ck. Number two, what world are we in? [Are] we not rappers? We all rappers, some bigger than others. But we rap. Let’s rap. I want to rap, I want to always rap.”

 

While many cited Budden’s previous Method Man comments as “disrespectful,” the Jersey City native argued his declarations are in line with the main tenets of being a legit emcee in Hip-Hop culture.

 

“I’m dead-ass when I talk. I have faith in my pen game,” Budden exclaimed. “And that’s how it should be. If you’re a rapper, I can’t see how you wouldn’t have the same attitude. If a n*gga said, ‘yo’ Joe Budden, you versus Eminem, whose gonna win?’ I’m going to say Joe Budden. I’m supposed to say it. Even if it’s the furthest thing from reality, you’re supposed to have utmost confidence in yourself and your craft. And if you don’t something is wrong with you.”

 

In a recent interview on New York’s Power 105.1FM, Method Man accused Budden of using him to gain publicity after being “benched” (dropped) by Def Jam several years ago.

 

Budden retorted to the claim by questioning what he could gain from dissing a Wu-Tang founding member in 2009.

 

“I have a problem with that. Get my foot in what door?” an incredulous Budden inquired. “They keep talking about a door that I’m running away from, and all my actions say I’m running away from. I’ve had offers from major labels; I don’t want it…If anything, you’re on the bench, too. You in the door you want to be in, on the bench. This Blackout 2 sh*t, he says I’m attacking him because he has an album coming out. ..If anything it would be reversed; I’d should be attacking him when I have an album coming out…I’m attacking you?! There’s nobody else that’s popping on a higher plateau and more relevant than you if I want to get my name out there? Huh? I could go diss Kanye West like all these other rap n***as be trying to do. I can go diss Jim Jones, Rick Ross; n***as who are very active and relevant today. They throwing these n***as off a diving board, something I wouldn’t let them do to me.”

 

Former collaborator Busta Rhymes weighed in on the situation in his own Power 105.1 interview, stating the controversial Mood Muzik creator should be slapped from his comments.

 

After labeling that statement hypocritical, Budden again brought the argument back to his original point of who can prove they are the better emcee.

 

“I’m talking about music…he should be smacked for that, by who exactly?” Budden questioned.

 

“I rap better than n***as! [It’s] my opinion. Because I heard him say that too, about ‘how can he say no disrespect to Method Man and say that dumb sh*t?’ Say what dumb sh*t? It’s my opinion and I’ll back it up. But not [just] to him, to whoever.”

 

Joe Budden’s latest LP, Padded Room, was released in February.

 

Albums from Busta Rhymes [Back on My B.S.], Method Man and Redman [Blackout 2] both hit stores on May 19, with the latter scoring a top 10 debut on Billboard’s 200 chart.

 

At press time, Method Man nor Busta Rhymes could be reached for comment.

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What Will You Listen To In 10 or 20 Years?

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Uncategorized
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So, there is the question.

What will you be listening to in 10 or 20 years?

When I started to write this, it started out as a rant, but then I really started to think about it. I soon became distressed.

I still love music and all that it has to offer so I was forced to consider the question for myself. For me, the answer to the question is two-fold, negative and positive.

Lets start with the negative.

I have no love for a lot of the music that is churned out of the music industry factory these days. Well, I take that back. I do like a lot of it, but there is also a lot more popular garbage out there. In about 10 or 20 years, I feel we’re going to be left with nothing, but this cool trash fronting as the new classics.

Can you imagine being at a party in 10 years talking about: “Buss it baby! That’s my song right there! Want to dance, baby?” No disrespect to anybody, but I can’t. First, the music isn’t very good and that goes for other genres of music, not just Hip-Hop.

On the other side, the music is full of so much filth that once you do get a bit more mature, you either 1) can’t listen at all or 2) must listen as if it were audio pornography. I can’t call it – some of it might be good for YOU now, but for me, its not good now or later. A lot of these dudes make a 80’s Ice Cube sound like Will Smith.

So, when I refer to “you,” I invariable must think of the younger people of Hip-Hop. Those of you that do still watch TV and listen to oodles of commercial radio will likely think about what you love in a few years. Then there are some of you that will still have a wealth of music to listen to, but I feel it is unlikely that you will have that common thread of going to the party and grooved to the same song. I like this, you like that…its the ipod nation. But this isn’t about young or old even though it can tend to cut down demographic lines.

Here is the other side.

I truly feel blessed to say that I have had some of these issues and musical conflicts for myself. For example, I love the Geto Boys, but can I and do I want to indulge in “Mind of a Lunatic” these days? No. I’m not into songs about raping corpses at this stage in my adult life. But, I will say that more often than not, I am able to listen to most of my music with the same love and affinity that I did back in the day.

Part of it is that, the cussing and vulgarity wasn’t so obnoxious. There were real clean versions of hit songs and even hit albums. What is considered clean today, is really just the cuss words taken out, but the content remains very explicit. Also, what was a hit back in the 90’s wasn’t really determined by what was on the radio and video. We would dictate what the radio played.

Now, that I am a bit older and a lot of the music from my formative years is 10 years or more old. I heard these songs in cars, I hear it on the radio with love and affection. And what is very cool, I might add, is that I have common musical ground with people that are considerably younger than I am just on the strength of the music. They might like Main Source or Tribe Called Quest and so do I…and that’s love.

With all the hate that goes on these days, I wonder in 10 years will it be looked upon with some sort of revisionist affection or will it be despised as it is now.

Even though I still feel like a participant and consumer of Hip-Hop, I am happen to feel secure that I have an insurance policy from the 1990’s that promises me good music to listen to for just about the rest of my days on Earth.

Love it, but I’m not listening very much these days: “The Mind of a Lunatic” -The Geto Boys.

They weren’t lying. I’ll be listening to this til infinity! Souls of Mischief – “93 ‘Till Infinity”

Maybe…Just maybe. Lil Wayne – “A Milli”

Wyclef Jean Honored By Harry Belafonte

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Rapper/producer Wyclef Jean will be in good company on Monday (June 8) as World Hunger Year (WHY) honors his commitment to fighting poverty at this year’s 2009 WHY-Chapin awards dinner.

 

The award-winning hitmaker will receive the ASCAP-Harry Chapin Humanitarian award at the event, which will take place at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City.

Jamaican musician/actor/activist Harry Belafonte will be on hand to present Jean the award.

Known as a leading advocate for innovative, community-based solutions to hunger and poverty, WHY is dedicated towards combating these issues by promoting methods for creating self-reliance, economic justice, and equal access to nutritious and affordable food.

 

Monday’s presentation is the latest accomplishment for Jean, who established his Yéle Haiti foundation in 2005.

 

The organization, which works towards long-term progress for Haiti via small-scale, manageable and replicable projects – is credited with changing the lives of children and adults through education, health, environment and community development programs.

 

“We must continue to highlight both the accomplishments of Yéle as well as Haiti’s continued need,” said Simon Khan, chief executive officer of the award dinner’s co-host, Antilia. “We are pleased to partner with WHY to bring awareness to this organization’s efforts in the Caribbean, and are delighted to work once again with Wyclef and his team.”

 

In addition to Jean, WHY-Chapin award recipients will include WFAN Sports Radio 66 and Growing Power, a national nonprofit organization and land trust that provides equal access to high-quality, safe and affordable food for those in need.

 

Several 2008 Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award winners will also be recognized for their efforts to go beyond charity to create change in their communities.

 

Famed Calypso singer/songwriter The Mighty Sparrow will bring the flavor of the Caribbean to the event with a special performance.

 

For Khan, the awards dinner marks a prime opportunity to “highlight achievements in the Caribbean community through the recognition of three Caribbean stalwarts – Wyclef Jean, Harry Belafonte and The Mighty Sparrow, who each continue to champion important Caribbean causes.”

TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE: illseed

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Reviews / Music
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Straight up, I like ill MC’s The rappers that I have always gravitated to were the dudes that made me think, “I wish I thought that” or “How the hell did he think of that?” When I crafted my list, that is what I had in mind, my favorite ill MC’s. Certainly there are the standard greats from every era (Biggie, Pac, Jay-Z, Nas, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane and others like Drake – kidding!), but these are the illest that I like.

In no particular order:

Q-Tip

I think I want to start with Q-Tip. Q-Tip is a brother than is definitely underrated in terms of people appreciating his talents. But he fronted one of the best Hip-Hop groups of all times. Furthermore, I have to get him props for offering me and alternative to the normal rough neck rap. Still Tip could rap right along side a rapper such as Busta Rhymes or a newer dude like Lil Wayne. He wasn’t a battle rapper, but he held his own for years, solo and with Tribe. On top of it all, you can see his influence in rappers to this day.

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

I know this might get some flack, but I really do love these dudes. And not because they passed away. They were the cream of the crop and tragically were taken from us too early. But, ODB was my favorite Wu Tang Member and he’s certainly gave the Clan a different look. In fact, he gave them that national crossover look, along with Meth. But, ODB had no limits and he would say lyrics like “I keep planets in orbit” that were so ill and so outrageous. But, he was more than just a zany rapper, he was sharp and offered a great style to complement his lyrics. I still listen to both of his solo albums as well as his material with the Wu.

Sticky Fingaz of Onyx

Now, this brother is definitely one of the best, but went left when he probably should have gone right. But, still he’s one of the illest and that holds true to this day. Lyrically, not a lot of dudes can get with Sticky. He truly held Onyx down and I loved how he would anchor just about every song. I hate “what if” scenarios, but I have to say it. If Sticky had opted to go to Aftermath instead of his own situation with Universal, he would likely be standing next to somebody like Eminem right now. It could be said that Stick bodied Eminem on “Remember Me?” from the MMLP! His solo album was criminally overlooked and classic in the eyes of many.

Eminem

Time tends to wear down the mind and people tend to forget what people have accomplished in their life and that long path they have traveled. So, lets take a trip back to that Slim Shady EP. Before Dr. Dre and all the Interscope hype. Eminem was an ill White kid from the Detroit Area. Dude was spazzing at all the battles, he did work with artists over at Rawkus, the Outsidaz and he actually made his own way until he got the attention of one Andre Young. Now, through the years, Eminem has continued to represent all that is great (and probably horrible) in Hip-Hop, but he’s always done it lyrically and creatively. His Marshall Mathers LP can pretty much stand against any album in the Hip-Hop history and he’s got a pretty impressive catalog.

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Busta Rhymes

Now, Busta Rhymes is a bit of a different dude on this list. I typically gauge rappers off of their albums, but with Busta, I don’t. I look at him as the master of “showing up.” I don’t think you can name an appearance that Busta showed up to and didn’t kill it. You can put him on just about any track, from any region with any tempo and he’s going to kill it. Now, that’s what being an emcee is all about. Furthermore, it is highly likely that Busta is going to steal the show – and I mean the live show. The other part about Busta I want to mention is that he’s always been a larger than life character, from his personality to his clothing to his musical style. Furthermore, Busta has managed to stay relevant for so long that it puts him in the same world as other greats like Jay, Nas and LL Cool J.

THE SIDE BAR….

Shout out to Scarface. Shout out to Big Pun. Shout out to Will Smith. Shout out to Ghostface. Shout out to Andre 3000. Shout out to Hip-Hop.

J. Dilla: Jay Stay Paid (Review)

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Reviews / Music
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When Lupus silenced J. Dilla on February 10, 2006, Hip-Hop lost one of its most influential, yet, highly underrated producer/rappers. Often called, “Your favorite producer’s, favorite producer,” James Yancey was a product of his environment. His mother, Maureen Yancey, has recounted often how a three year old Dilla would sit at his little record player listening to James Brown over and over again. His innovation as a crate digger and affinity for making old songs new again led to Dilla’s status as one of the most gifted sample using producers in the game.

His latest posthumous album, Jay Stay Paid is the brainchild of Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey and legendary producer and close Dilla associate, Pete Rock. Largely instrumental with unreleased tracks, the album also features sporadic songs with vocals from Lil’ Fame of MOP, Black Thought, DOOM, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Raekwon, and Detroiter’s Danny Brown, Phat Kat and Frank Nitty of Frank ‘n’ Dank. The album is set up as a radio show, which is at times, distracting. However, the saving grace of the “KJay FM” style is that it also features snippets of an actual J. Dilla radio interview.

On “Blood Sport”, Lil’ Fame goes hard with lines like, “Now ante up b***h and pay Dilla,” shouting out Detroit using the city’s classic greeting, “What Up, Doe.” Despite the fact that many of the tracks on Jay Stay Paid are many years old, the album does not sound dated in any way. In fact, Dilla fans and Hip-Hop enthusiasts will enjoy guessing which years the tracks were created based on how they sound in comparison to other previously released tracks. His younger brother, Illa J, who is 12 years younger than his legendary brother boasts on “See That Boy Fly,” that “the beat stay banging and it’s 12 years older than yo’ s###.”

Black Thought dumbs out on “Reality Check,” easily the best song on the album which name checks reality tv shows and the fans who watch them, “Watching “Cribs” looking at s### she never gon’ get/ “America’s Best Dance Moves” she tryin’ to do the steps/ ‘Bout to do her like Beyonce and tell her to the left/Truth be told, she ‘bout to television me to death.” The album also introduces to an international audience Detroit rapper, Danny Brown, whose first album; Hot Soup made him a local sensation. On “Dilla Bot vs. The Hybrid”, Brown uses the braggadocio lyrical prowess that Detroit rappers are known for, “F**k with Brown, dog I show you where the drama is/ Swear it might be easier to snatch Obama kids.”

Raised in Conant Gardens, a historic neighborhood in Detroit, Dilla was a founding member of Slum Village and a member of the hip-hop production collective known as The Ummah, which was founded in 1995 and created classic songs for A Tribe Called Quest, The Brand New Heavies, Janet Jackson and more. Jay Stay Paid (J$P) is a heartfelt collection of remains a wealth of unreleased material and further testimony to his legacy. Since his death, innumerable parties, mixtapes and other dedications have taken place to raise awareness of J. Dilla’s music as well as to pay his medical expenses, which were estimated at a quarter of a million dollars. Further, his passing has raised awareness of Lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that both Dilla and his mother suffer from.

Three years after his death, it’s possible that more he is gaining more fans in death than he had in life. His passing left a hole in the heart of Hip-Hop and hopefully his legacy will shine on. Furthermore, hopefully this will help take care of his mother’s health since Dilla’s mother is taking care of Hip-Hop with this excellent work of art, Jay Stay Paid.

The Finals Predictions: The Lakers vs. The Magic

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Lifestyle
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Listen, last week I put myself out of a limb to express a unique opinion (Lebron vs. Carmelo, would be a better one-on-one matchup than Lebron vs. Kobe) which many of you agreed with, a few disagreed with emphatically, and other major media outlets appeared to have cosigned if only for a few days. This was my opinion on a better matchup, not my opinion on what we’d see in the Finals. Sounds like I’m back-peddling right? I beg to differ.

My argument was that Kobe couldn’t stick with Lebron physically, and that’s true. But there is one characteristic that Kobe towers over Lebron on, and that is his will to win. Kobe wasn’t going to lose in the Western Conference finals this season if his life depended on it. As for Lebron, you would almost believe that he had it in his head that the Finals were ‘his right’. He learned a tough lesson and so did we about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

If you’re a bit shaky about your belief in curses, the city of Cleveland’s professional sports’ clubs should put you over the hump.

The Cavaliers are a solid big man, preferably a power forward (you know, like a Carlos B##### – sorry for the low blow) away from getting out the East, let alone winning a championship.

Lebron James is a sore loser

Lebron, my dude, how could you leave us a witness to your utter lack of sportsmanship after the Magic sent you home for the summer? You left Montell Jordan, my mistake; Dwight Howard waiting for the hug half-hearted congratulations that Carmelo gave Kobe the night before. Lebron, what you’ve done by walking off the court without saluting your peers, not handling any post game interviews and leaving your teammates to fend for themselves during the post game press conference (although some would say your teammates left you to fend for yourself on the court) just might be the black eye on your early career that you’ll retire with. And Carmelo, just focus on the game, stay out of the recording studio, and you’ll have your ring in two years.

Now on to the main course. The Los Angeles Lakers were odds on favorites to make it to this point, so there are no surprises there. However, if you picked the Orlando Magic to make it to the Finals since day 1, you must be a lifelong fan of the franchise or a compulsive liar. The last time the Magic got this far, Anfernee Hardaway and Shaquille O’neal were the One-Two punch. The last time the Lakers won the NBA Championship, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’neal were Batman and Robin. And last year when Kobe lost in the Finals, Shaquille performed a song about how Kobe couldn’t win the title without him. I wonder if Shaq has a remix with T-Pain waiting for Kobe if he so happens to fail on a galactic scale this time around.

The Magic beat the Lakers 2-0 during the regular season. Both times, their starting point, Jameer Nelson was the leading scorer. Rumors have begun to surface that Jameer will possibly return from his shoulder injury that put him out for the season back in February. However, Magic’s GM, Otis Smith stuck to his word over the weekend that Jameer will not make a return. So what does that leave for Orlando?

Clearly, the Magic is going hard on all cylinders and at the right time. Dwight “This Is How We Do It” Howard is playing up to what his coach envisioned for him. Hedo Turkoglu regained a confidence in his game that he hasn’t had since he played for the Sacramento Kings. Rashard Lewis is playing up to the contract he signed. And Mickael Pietrus, a possible X-Factor, is the offensive/defensive spark off the bench that just might get on Kobe’s nerves.

The Lakers came so close, yet so far last year. Derek Fisher wants another ring really bad; like ‘I’ll throw an illegal pick and act like nothing happened’ bad. Lamar Odom has come to realize that he can’t hide behind his own talents and expect for his team to prosper. Pau Gasol knows his way around the Triangle Offense and more importantly gained a much needed backbone in the paint. And Luke Walton could very well be the X-Factor of the series of the Lakers come out on top.

In my view, Orlando has the advantage over Los Angeles in the front court and in 3-point shooting. The Lakers doesn’t have a sure answer for Howard. And if they are forced to double team him, their defense in the passing lanes better be championship quality or the Magic will destroy them from behind the 3-Point line. Los Angeles has the advantage in the back court and the bench. Bryant is an advantage in himself. If the Magic has any chances of winning the title, they must frustrate Bryant early and often. This is not about shutting Bryant down so that his teammates score or otherwise. If the Magic steals either Game 1 or Game 2 in LA under the 2-3-2 series format, the pressure is on #24. And if LA falls behind by two games, you will see the selfish, bratty Kobe show up. Yes, the same Kobe that showed up last year and we all saw what happened then.

NEWS JUST IN: Lakers guard, Shannon Brown was served his papers for a civil suit by an unidentified woman for an alleged sex-related incident in Denver of all places? It supposedly went down while he was a Charlotte Bobcat this past January before he was traded to the Lakers. Ya’ll can have that one.

I won’t keep you long, so here is my prediction: The Orlando Magic will win their first NBA Champion, 4-2 and Rashard Lewis will be the NBA Finals MVP.

Will “Deshair” Foskey is a social journalist/blogger with New Jersey as his home state and AllHipHop.com as one of his many passions. Deshair has two projects in the works for a Summer ’09 launches.

AllHipHop.com Chart Watch

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: Features
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Welcome to Chart Watch, the weekly column where we check out what happened, what is happening and what’s about to happen.

Sasha Baron Cohen and Marshall Mathers are the talk of the town days after they pranked everybody with some cheek-to-cheek action. Good thing Sasha has a movie coming out and Em’s got Relapse to promote. His new disc remains on the charts at number one selling 211,000 copies. Only next week will tell if letting a grown man dropping feathers and a wearing thong slowly descended from the heavens will positively or negatively impact sales. Oh and speaking of controversial figures that make Bill O’Reilly angry Marilyn Manson’s The High End of the Low entered the at number four. We didn’t even know he had an album coming out!

Greenday’s 21’st Century Breakdown, another rock opera in the style of their runaway success American Idiot, gets to hold the number two spot with 76,000 copies.

Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack comes in at number three.

The eccentric Lady Gaga jumps up three spots to five. I get Hannah Montana because the kids got to watch something, but Lady Gaga continues to mystify. Well apparently enough of her fans did get it because her debut album, The Fame, continues to sell.

Sadly, Redman & Method Man and Busta Rhymes fell out the Top 10 but maybe a push can get them and some more Hip-Hop back on the charts. Now I know it’s a recession and you’re probably not buying albums but if that’s just not enough Hip-Hop for you (can there ever be enough?) you might want to take a look at some of these artists. Get them off of itunes, Amazon, or actually go to the store. Find a mom and pop shop. Bestbuy still sells music. I hear Walmart still sells cd’s…somewhere in the back by the automotive gear and bathroom decor. If you find them let your friends know.

DROPPING THIS WEEK

The incomparable J Dilla continues to impress with a posthumous release J Stay Paid. Twenty five tracks by one of Hip Hop’s greatest producers arranged by Pete Rock. I don’t know how you can say you love Hip-Hop and sleep on this one.

Anthony ‘AZ’ Cruz returns with his ninth album Legendary. You like lyrics? You like the East Coast feel? You like substance? You like AZ. Get the album.

Guce takes the whole drug dealing/baking metaphor to a whole new level with his album Gucey Guce Doe Boy I Got That Cake Mix. I don’t know much about him other then the fact he is from San Francisco, has Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Young Dro, Mac Dre and Shawty Lo on his album, and has one of the most interesting album covers I’ve seen in a minute. Anybody that can make the Pillsbury Dough Boy look menacing is worth a listen.

Canada and the US make a connection with the new album from Marco Polo and Torae. Double Barrel pairs Polo’s hard hitting beats with Torae’s hard hitting lyrics. The album is supposed to pay homage to New York’s mid 90’s rap scene so if you’ve been missing that sound this might be for you. Plus it’s got Lil Fame of M.O.P, Sean Price, and Masta Ace.

Well that’s this week’s AllHipHop.com Chart Watch. Pick up a few out of the Top 10 and take a look at some of the other releases.

Fab Promises Auto-Biographical ‘Loso’s Way’

By: Grouchy Greg Watkins (@GrouchyGreg) Updated Category: News
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Brooklyn’s Fabolous is promising fans his most personal album with Loso’s Way, slated to be released later this month.

 

The main theme of the album will focus on the dangers and challenges of transitioning from street life to an honest living.

 

The motif reflects its movie inspiration, Carlito’s Way, which starred Al Pacino as a gangster struggling to go straight after years of criminal activities.

 

Along with the LP, Fabolous will drop a 30 minute mini-film companion piece.

 

Several trailers for the project are now available on youtube, and have helped in creating a buzz for the Brooklynite.

 

To date, two advance singles have been released for Loso’s Way: The Dream-assisted “Throw It In the Bag” (produced by Tricky Stewart), and “It’s My Time,” featuring Jeremith and produced by the Runners.

 

The former is listed as the #1 Most-Added song in the Rhythm radio format, while the latter holds the same distinction in the Urban format.

 

Both singles also premiered last week on MTV.

 

The album will be the first in 3 years for Fabolous, and serve as a followup to 2007’s gold-certified From Nothin’ to Somethin’.

 

At press time, Fabolous is scheduled to perform in Los Angeles with NeYo at this year’s BET Awards on June 28.

 

Loso’s Way will be released on June 30 through Desert Storm/Def Jam.

 

The entire tracklisting is available below:

 

The Way “Intro” Produced by Streetrunner Feel Like I’m Back – Produced by Justice League

My Time feat Jeremih Produced by The Runners

Imma Do It featuring Kobe Produced by Khalil

Everything, Everyday, Everywhere feat Keri Hilson – Produced by Ryan Leslie

Throw It In The Bag feat The Dream – Produced by Tricky

When The Money Goes – Remix feat Jay-Z Produced by Jermaine Dupri

Salute feat Lil Wayne – Produced by Miguel

There He Go Featuring Paul Cain, Red Café and Freck Billionaire– Produced by THE BLACKOUT MOVEMENT

The Fabolous Life feat Ryan Leslie – Produced by Ryan Leslie

Makin Love feat Ne-Yo – Produced by Jermaine Dupri

Last Time feat Trey Songz – Produced by Jermaine Dupri

Stay feat Marsha Ambrosius Produced by Syience

Pachanga Produced by Sid V

Lullaby Produced by Alchemist

Never Let It Go Featuring Keys Produced by Khalil

I Miss My Love Produced by Sean C. and L.V.