Brian Josephs
Joell Ortiz Featuring B.o.B And Mally Stakz “Music Saved My Life”
Joell Ortiz's Slaughterhouse mates Joe Budden and Royce Da 5'9" have recently been making headlines for the Total Slaughter battle rap event. Ortiz decides to go through the inspirational route with "Music Saved My Life," a new cut from his upcoming album, House Slippers.
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Premiere: Mick Jenkins “Lazarus” (Produced By Chuck Strangers)
Mick Jenkins, a representative from Chicago's more conscious-minded sect, has announced his signing to Cinematic Music Group.
"Jonny Shipes is the only person that approached me offering to work for free," he tells XXL exclusively. After growing and working together, as well as exploring other options, I'm happy to make the decision to partner with Cinematic Music Group...
Nicki Minaj Is A Hard To Impress Owner On Cam’ron’s “So Bad” Video
Cam'ron is pretty much an NYC legend. Still, he's a man with unlegendary problems. On "So Bad," it's if can he impress an owner enough to allow him to grab an apartment worth $20,000. The twist is that the owner just happens to be Nicki Minaj...
Que Featuring August Alsina “Diamonds”
August Alsina has had no problem filling in his recent role as hook man regardless of the artist. After doing the same for Houston's Kirko Bangz, Alsina justaposes Que's warbly auto-tune in "Diamonds." On this Jazz Feezy-produced cut, Alsina and Que focuses on a topic they know quite well: The come-up and the folks who're trying to get down because of it. The...
Vic Mensa Lives It Up In California In “Feel That” Video
Vic Mensa, one of the more inventive artists coming out of Chicago, opens the video musing about how monotonous the game has become. So he does what every reasonable person would do: Take a drug — called "fun" — through an ear drop (a surprise that hasn't caught on yet) and starts living it up. What follo...
Columbia BT Featuring Rich Homie Quan “She Crazie”
Rich Homie Quan is still making clubbing tracks even with allegedly crazy women chasing him. "She Crazie," a track led by Atlanta rhymer Columbia BT, is an ode to that struggle.
Over snaps and an aquatic beat, Columbia BT and Rich Homie Quan addresses what probably isn't the Webster's definition of crazy...
Listen To Waka Flocka Flame’s ‘I Can’t Rap Vol. 1′
Even though he gave us "Hard in Da Paint," traditionalist hip-hop heads have often criticized Waka Flocka Flame for performing in rabble-rousing barks rather than rappity-rap technique. So is I Can't Rap Vol. 1 justifiably named or is Waka Flocka being ironic and has instead made a project that proves critics wrong
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Ab-Soul And ScHoolboy Q Live It Up In “Hunnid Stax” Video
Ab-Soul wants to represent the enlightened artists who don't mind turning up. The Adam Roberts-directed "Hunnid Stax" video is pretty much an example of that goal. There are beautiful women hanging in the bedroom and chilling in the back of a vehicle with Ab-Soul...
Ransom And Astro “Around The World”
Ransom decided to help get the work week started with a new goodie entitled, "Around The World." Here, Ransom spits some street poetry over a key loop that combines just the right amount of nostalgia and grit. Credit goes to Vocab for the beat
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Chase N. Cashe Represents New Orleans In “.45 Freestyle”
Back in February, Chase N. Cashe freestyled over Thug City's ".45" in a collaboration with streetwear mainstay Frank The Butcher. Now, the loosie comes with a video.
The video mostly follows Chase N. Cashe as he delivers "bars after bars" (after being "in the gym everyday") through New Orleans...
Kirko Bangz Featuring August Alsina “Rich”
As Trey Songz and Drake showed us on 2009's "Successful," a hit song can sometimes be found by simply stating the everyman's general desires. Kirko Bangz may not have the same momentum now as Drake had then, but at least he has this concept down on "Rich...
MC Eiht And The Outlawz Talk That Rugged Talk On “Shut Em Down”
The true hip-hop heads know MC Eiht is good for more than a guest verse. The Compton legend teams up with the famously Tupac Shakur-affiliated Outlawz for "Shut Em Down," which comes with a Jae Synth-directed video set in Los Angeles, Calif...