Wale Ambition Tour

Starts on the 2nd in Minneapolis and ends December 8th in ATL. 

Sun Oct 2: Minneapolis, MN – Epic Concert Venue
Mon, Oct 3: Madison, WI – The Orpheum
Thurs, Oct 6: Baltimore, MD – Morgan State University
Sun, Oct 9: Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock
Mon, Oct 10: Philadelphia, PA – TLA
Thurs, Oct 13: Charlotte, NC – John C. Smith University
Sun, Oct 16: Nashville, TN – Limelight
Tues, Oct 18: Chicago, IL – House of Blues
Thurs, Oct 20: Raleigh, NC – Lincoln Theatre
Tues, Oct 25: Norfolk, VA – Joe Echols Hall
Fri, Oct 28: New York, NY – Terminal 5
Sat, Oct 29: Clifton Park, NY – Northern Lights
Sun, Oct 30: Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall
Mon, Oct 31: Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club
Weds, Nov 9: Dallas, TX – House of Blues
Thurs, Nov 10: Houston, TX – House of Blues
Fri, Nov 11: New Orleans, LA – House of Blues
Sat, Nov 12: Austin, TX – La Zona Rosa
Tues, Nov 15: Los Angeles, CA – House of Blues
Thurs, Nov 17: San Diego, CA – Fluxx
Fri, Nov 18: Tempe, AZ – The Clubhouse
Sun, Nov 20: Santa Ana, CA – Yost Theater
Tues, Nov 22: San Francisco, CA – Mezzanine
Weds, Nov 23: Sacramento, CA – Sunrise Event Center
Fri, Nov 25: Seattle, WA – Neumos
Sat, Nov 26: Portland, OR – Roseland
Thurs, Dec 1: Fort Lauderdale, FL – Revolution
Fri, Dec 2: Orlando, FL – The Beacham
Sat, Dec 3: Tallahassee, FL – 20/20
Sun, Dec 4: Tampa, FL – The Ritz
Tues, Dec 6: Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
Thurs, Dec 8: Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle

Rick Ross x MMG Cover XXL

Ricky Rozay and his crew hit the cover of XXL. Issues hit newsstands September 20th. Peep an excerpt below.

  XXL’s new executive editor, Jayson Rodriguez, moderated a roundtable discussion between MMG stars Wale, Meek and Pill, to find out about each rappers role in the crew, what MMG represents as a team and what gives them an advantage over their competitors. “I think it’s a plus that everybody got their own fan base, they got their own thing rocking in their own city, and they got their own representation of what they stand for,” Pill says. “So when everyone comes together, that’s all the fan bases combined. It’s a blessing to be able to rock with a bunch of different guys that are passionate about the craft and that know where they going and actually can foresee the future, when it comes to their music. I think that gives us a stronghold and a bit of longevity. And kind of an advantage also.”

JukeBoxDC Editorial: What Makes A Hip-Hop Album Classic?

With Jay-Z’s immaculate classic The Blueprint celebrating its 10 year anniversary on September 11th, I thought it was only right to write about his classic masterpiece. But, not just this classic album, but most of them. We can associate a classic album as a fine dish. It has to have the right ingredients, made the right way and made by someone who put a lot of hard work, love and care into it. Then, once completed, everyone loves it, wants more of it, recommends your dish to everyone, etc. Seems doable, right? It is. Easy? Not so fast my friend. Getting the approval of the label, fan endorsement, album sales and ultimately being critically-acclaimed by various publications all at once is a tedious task. Luckily enough, more than a few artists have pulled this off and some even, more than once.


Before we can breakdown the bulk of what makes a classic album classic, let’s talk about the word classic. Merriam-Webster defines it as serving a standard of excellence, historically memorable and authentic. Wow. Strong words, right? Now, aside from diabetes STILL being a factor in America and the STD outbreak in my generation, one of my biggest issues is how loosely we use the word classic. People will tweet hashtags of classic with anything. I love Three 6 Mafia just as much as the next thug nigga, but they have never released a classic album. I love Tweet’s Southern Hummingbird as any lover of neo soul/R&B but she never released a classic album. Lil Wayne’s Carter I got a lot of rotation in my car, but it is not a classic album. We call these albums, personal favorites. A personal favorite relates to you. It speaks to you. Its your theme music for months upon months. However, most personal favorites never meet mass appeal, hardly sell a good amount of records(at least Gold) and is usually, an artist’s best album out of their entire collection (Not by a little bit either, but a lot). Therefore, if you see someone throw around classic, just give them the speech on personal favorites. Minds will change. Now, let’s meet the sensational six.

1. Content/Lyrical Prowess:
Example: Notorious B.I.G’s Ready to Die
Close But Not Quite: 2Pac’s Me Against the World
See what I just did there? A 2Pac fan probably just stopped reading this, but let me break it down, before you blow up the comments box. Ready to Die gave a story than is unmatched in hip hop except for about 4-5 albums. Me Against the World had a great story and 2Pac had great content on this album, but he missed out on another key element to a classic album (production). If MATW isn’t formed in such a small time period and Pac been better on his beats, this is a classic. Think of the Kevin Dyson and the Titans against the Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.

2. Production:
Example: Common’s Be
Close But Not Quite: Jay-Z’s American Gangster
I love American Gangster. It took a while to grow on me, but it’s definitely in Jay-Z’s top 5 albums of his catalog. Even with the awesome beats that Puffy and the Hitmen gave to Hov, the album falls short on the end of having one too many skippable songs. As for Be, Kanye West gave his Chicago brethren an artist-reviving LP to bump for years and years. Be’s ability to be played through and through with impeccable production gets a nod. American Gangster can go into the personal favorites section.

3. Memorable Songs/No Skips
Example: Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt
Close But Not Quite: T.I.’s Paper Trail
Jay-Z has the most classic albums by any solo rapper (RD, BP1 & Black). Reasonable Doubt is quite honestly, the best rap album ever made. Put the album on shuffle, turn your music the loudest and you will feel the winter of 1996 coming through your speakers. As for Paper Trail, tons of hits, tons of success, but the album lacks the “You Know Where You Were When You First Heard It” factor. Songs were leaking left and right, that when you first heard Paper Trail, half the album already got 10 spins on your iPod. That’s not cool Tip. Solid album it is, but not a classic, nor the best in his collection (Reference: Trap Muzik).

4. Impact
Example: Kanye West’s College Dropout
Close But Not Quite: Nas’ Untitled
These two albums are part of my “Will Never Leave the iPod Ever, Ever” collection. One is a classic and the other is a complete album that is missing the impact factor. College Dropout was slept on, but after that first listen and hearing the story of a guy named Kanye, you immediately fell in love with the soul beats and this new sound he was just beginning to usher in. As for Untitled, Nas made a conscious effort to sulk into the mind’s of the youth, but lacking videos, promotion and not having a strong radio push, the album fell through the cracks. Lack of impact ruined this one. Untitled is considered a personal favorite in my book.

5. You Know Where You Were When You First Heard It
Example: Drake’s So Far Gone
Close But Not Quite: Lil Wayne’s No Ceilings
Now this is a weird rule for the simple fact that most 80’s babies can’t relate to any album in the 90’s for this factor, nor can a 90’s baby do the same with early 2000’s albums. Therefore, this rule only applies for post 2005 records depending on age. To make this more intriguing, I selected two of YMCMB’s best mixtapes ever. First, So Far Gone spread like wildfire among the streets. It was fresh, this guy could rap (and sing) and it was something we haven’t seen in a while, a hostile takeover (i.e. 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Trying Era). It had everything an album has except for the fact, it wasn’t an album. As for No Ceilings, it was simply awesome. Wayne gave away free remixes to keep one hit wonders alive and on the radio and in clubs (“Swag Surf”, “Ice Cream”). No Ceilings lacks the content and depth that previous Wayne mixtapes brought to the table though. Car trunk approved. Classic rating denied.

6. Expectations/Timing
Example: Kanye West’s Late Registration
Close But Not Quite: Kanye West’s Graduation
Kanye’s two most debated albums and honestly, I will take Late Registration over Graduation. The expectations and when the album is released are the biggest difference. Yes, I know expectations don’t have to nothing to do with the music and timing can’t truly be justified but that’s what so great about debating music, its more than just music. After College Dropout, most thought Kanye was a one album wonder and would continue to be a genius behind the board. That didn’t happen. He would release an album just as good as College Dropout, but this time he was a better rapper. (Impact makes Dropout better than Registration). Anyways, with Graduation, Kanye had two major hits (“Can’t Tell Me Nothing” and ”Stronger”) and the album couldn’t live up to those songs. That’s how good they were. Think of the early 2000’s Lakers dynasty, Shaq and Kobe and them. Great duo, but from top to bottom they don’t compare to other basketball franchises.
Now, that you’ve heard the sensational six let’s talk about a few other factors that’s aren’t as key, but could be a way to sway viewers.
Album Cover: Take a look at any 90’s OutKast cover and your eyes might get the munchies. It’s a visual orgasm with colors and symbolism. Artwork is a factor.
Features: Dr. Dre’s Chronic and 2001 albums would not be where they are today without the help of a few of his comrades. Great music was made by Dre and company well before he made some very expensive headphones.
Skits: Say what you want about Eminem, but he is a one of a kind artist and his skits are living proof. Through his sick and demented humor, Em always kept people laughing, talking about or having a guilty pleasure for his skits.
Videos: *insert Hype Williams 90’s video here*
Now, that we’ve discussed the difference from classic versus personal favorite, the key and not so key ingredients to a classic album, there is one glaring factor I must establish. The length of time is a significant factor, because if you judge an album too quick you have already become a prisoner of the moment. So you gave Watch the Throne, two complete spins and its classic? Or on the flipside, you gave the Carter IV four spins and its the worst album of the year? Settle down my friends. Being a prisoner of the moment can cause irrational thinking and judgment. Personally, I like to hear an album 4-5 times over a week’s span before I give my verdict. With that being said, an album can not be deemed “classic” until 18 months after its release. Yes, a complete year and a half. Some might say a year, but most classic albums still have a significant radio single and/or video out. Let’s hear the album with fresh ears. Some might say why not do a full two years? I like this notion, but that wait is too long. We shouldn’t have for its 2nd birthday to crown it a gem. This can be sort of like the NFL and it’s 5 year wait period for the Hall of Fame. After 18 months, then we can consider if you’re eligible. Speaking of eligibilty a few albums are up for consideration including Rick Ross’ Teflon Don, Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and long shot Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice project. All were solid in my eyes, but still need a little more time on the shelf before being deemed classic.

As of right now, there are four potentially classic albums due out in the upcoming months that have a classic buzz to them. Jeezy returns with his highly anticipated TM103, Drake and Wale debut their sophmore LPs with Take Care and Ambition, and RocNation’s own J. Cole will finally release Cole World: Sideline Story this September. The buzz is there for all four to make a splash but which will actually come through is the question.
It was a pleasure breaking down what exactly a hip hop classic is and isn’t. Hopefully you paid attention and took notes. Class is dismissed.

What’s Poppin Vol. 1, by Peter Rosenburg

“I got together with the good people at Popchips to create a mixtape/album that I am very proud of. It features original performances from some of the best in the game and original production from some of my favorite producers. With so much BS out there — sometimes it’s hard to find what’s really poppin. Well I did the work for you. Enjoy.”

Jay Sean The Mistress (Mixtape)

Tracklisting and link after the jump.

 1. Rouge a levres
2. The Mistress
3. Love feat Birdman
4. Sex 101 feat Tyga
5. Message in a Bottle
6. Yesterday
7. She Has No Time
8. Say Yeah feat Lupe Fiasco
9. Can’t Fall in Love
10. Movie
11. Same Old Same Old
12. Where I Wanna Be
13. Waiting in Vain
14. Where Do We Go

Download

Mixtape: Camron & Vado – Boss Of All Bosses 2.8: The Road To 3.0



1. Intro
2. Gunz & Butta
3. House Of Harlem (Feat. Jaz)
4. Star (Feat. Jaz & Rod Rhaspy)
5. Picture (Feat. Jaz & Rod Rhaspy)
6. Soulja (Feat. Jaz)
7. Warning (Remix) (Feat. Uncle Murda)
8. From The Bottom (Feat. Grafh & Hell Rell)
9. Let It Burn
10. Cold World (Feat. Rod Raspy)
11. They Know Who We Are (Feat. P Da Don & Jim Jones)
12. Makeout (Feat. Jim Jones & Sen City)
13. Watch Out (Feat. Hell Rell & J.R. Writer)
14. All Around (Feat. Jaz & Rod Rhaspy)
15. Bread Breakers (Feat. Hell Rell & J.R. Writer)
16. Fairytales (Remix) (Feat. Avery Storm & Jaz)
17. Party Ain’t A Party (Freestyle) (Feat. Jaz)
18. Murder 1 Skit (Feat. Whiteboy J)
19. Key To Life
20. Keep Rising
21. Life Is Like A Movie

J.Cole “Neverland” x “Heavy”

J. Cole keeps his Any Given Sunday series going with two new tracks that won’t appear on the album. Happy Labor Day.

 â€œNeverland”

  produced by Chase N. Cashe and J. Cole. Some shit we did out in LA! Not on the album, but something you should have. Ride to it. Shout to my nigga Chase!

 â€œHeavy”

  Did a lot of records in LA some months back. This is another one. Not album material, but its HEAVY. Produced by J. Cole.

Danger Mouse, The Grey Album


01. Public Service Announcement [02:46]
02. What More Can I Say [04:25] 03. Encore [02:40] 04. December 4th [03:35] 05. 99 Problems [04:07] 06. Dirt Off Your Shoulders [03:59] 07. Moment Of Clarity [04:00] 08. Change Clothes [04:05] 09. Allure [04:06] 10. Justify My Thug [04:13] 11. Lucifer 9 [02:01] 12. My First Song [04:47]

Basquiat, Hip-Hop Finds an Artist to Believe,

Hip-Hop Finds an Artist to Believe In
By ANDREW BORYGA

HIP-HOP has long given shout-outs to alcoholic beverages, foreign cars and jewelry. But recently, an artist has been added to that list. Jean-Michel Basquiat, who got his start in SAMO, a graffiti collective in Manhattan’s early-’80s downtown scene, and became a famed painter before his death at 27, has been name-checked in numerous tracks in the last two years by the likes of Jay-Z, Nas, Kanye West and Rick Ross, bringing his story and work to the attention of a new generation.

Fred Brathwaite, a k a Fab 5 Freddy, the longtime hip-hop impresario and former friend of the artist’s, said Basquiat’s sudden exposure on hip-hop airwaves coincided directly with the 2010 release of a Basquiat documentary. In addition to exposing the artist’s story to a larger audience, the film established a connection between Basquiat and hip-hop, by way of their friendship. “It made people in the hip-hop community realize we were tight,” Mr. Brathwaite said. He met Basquiat at a party in 1979 and soon after shared studio space with him on Canal Street, where he introduced him to recordings of early hip-hop parties that he says Basquiat found interesting, particularly early versions of sampling. In 1983, Basquiat toyed with the process on “Beat-Bop,” a 10-minute track synthesizing various instruments and rhyming patterns, for which he produced and designed artwork. Coveted by hip-hop collectors because of its limited release, the track is rumored to be a result of a rift between Basquiat and a rapper on the track, Rammellzee, but Mr. Brathwaite contends the rumors are false and the record was nothing more than an experiment. “Everyone was doing a little bit of everything then,” he said. ”Everyone had their hands in different scenes.” “Beat-Bop” provided hip-hop aficionados a way to discover Basquiat, but not until the rapper-producer Swizz Beatz’s public embrace of Basquiat did his presence begin to grow. Swizz Beatz, whose birth name is Kasseem Dean, remembers that when he tagged cabs and subway cars as a teenager in the South Bronx under the name Loco, friends often referred to Basquiat, pointing out places in the city where his SAMO tag once rested. At 18, flush with production money from DMX’s 1998 hit “Ruff Ryder’s Anthem” and seeking to decorate a recently purchased home, Mr. Dean found himself drawn to Basquiat’s prints, flipping through an art book that also contained Warhol, Haring and Lichtenstein. “There was something about his work; it was so simple yet so bold at the same time,” said Mr. Dean, 32, in a phone interview. Discovering Basquiat’s Brooklyn roots and humble beginnings, Mr. Dean became fascinated by the artist. By age 25 he had bought his first original piece and now owns six. He also wears two Basquiat-inspired tattoos, one a portrait of the artist on his right arm. Franklin Sirmans, a Los Angeles County Museum of Art curator and contributor to numerous books on Basquiat, finds the hip-hop connection logical, given the artist’s street origins and his status as a black star in a mostly white, exclusionary art world “Jean-Michel lived as the only black person in the room,” he said. “A Jay-Z or Swizz Beatz can relate to that as record executives.” On recent hip-hop tracks, Basquiat’s name has been dropped amid verses glorifying pinky rings and Porsches. One song suggests that the splattering style he sometimes painted in was a metaphor for spilled blood. But references like that on the 2010 track “Most Kingz” describe a deeper connection. Jay-Z begins a verse in the song with the couplet “Inspired by Basquiat, my chariot’s on fire /Everybody took shots, hit my body up, I’m tired,” and in later verses makes reference to the pressures of escaping the ghetto but not its stigma, something Mr. Sirmans says Basquiat, whose work was often regarded by critics as “primitive,” faced. Underlying meaning aside, Swizz, who is serving as creative director for Reebok’s forthcoming fall Basquiat sneaker and apparel line, believes any mention of Basquiat and exposure to a larger audience is good. “Sure, it could be a fad,” he said. “But let’s make it an educational fad.”

Download Mixtape: 10.Deep x Federation Sound – Summer Murda


The mighty Federation Sound to bring you SUMMER MURDA, a unique, 48-track soundclash mix full of exclusive dubplates from a wide range of dancehall’s greatest new and old artists – including the likes of Buju Banton, Vybz Kartel, Sean Paul, Chino, Mr. Lexx, Kardinal Offishall and Flippa Mafia to true OGs Johnny Osbourne, Shinehead and Freddie McGregor. Our collective focus was not to bring you the latest, newest dancehall, but to create something timeless.





Eminem and Lil Wayne Concert





Eminem and Lil’ Wayne will be teaming up for a special 6 hour concert on December 1st at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. Tickets to the one night only event from the two hip-hop heavyweights go on sale September 13 at 9am. S/O miss info.tv

Tickets go on sale 2pm Sep 13 from Here.

Eminem 2011 Australia Tour Dates

Melbourne – December 1st

Etihad Stadium

Sydney – December 2nd

Sydney Football Stadium



Dj Drama and Young Jeezy, The Real Is Back 2





01. Young Jeezy – Real Is Back 2 (Intro) (4:55) 02. Young Jeezy – Trump (Feat. Birdman) (4:46) 03. Young Jeezy – Chickens No Flour (3:16) 04. Young Jeezy – Gotta See This (Feat. Freddie Gibbs & JW) (4:33) 05. Young Jeezy – Rough (Feat. Freddie Gibbs) (3:07) 06. Young Jeezy – All The Time (Feat. Slick Pulla) (3:58) 07. Young Jeezy – Bandana (Feat. 211) (3:03) 08. Young Jeezy – Nicks 2 Bricks (Feat. Freddie Gibbs) (3:04) 09. Young Jeezy – Grizzly (Feat. Yo Gotti) (4:08) 10. Young Jeezy – Sittin low (Feat. Scrilla & Freddie Gibbs) (4:42) 11. Young Jeezy – Real Nigga Anthem (4:45)

TM103 on the way