A slew of classic hip-hop acts like EPMD, Brand Nubian, Black Sheep and Lords Of The Underground will be hitting the stage along with N.O.R.E., Redman and Method Man later this month.
Presented by Funkmaster Flex and Adam Lublin, the show, under “The Hip-Hop Legends Concert Series,” will take place at S.O.B.’s in New York City on May 24. Tickets, which can be purchased now on the venue’s website, are going for $30.
Headliners Red and Meth are currently preparing for the release of their new album, Blackout 2. The disc, which is a sequel to their platinum selling 1999 disc of the same name, hits stores on May 19. N.O.R.E. recently put out a new C-N-N album, Channel 10, with his partner-in-rhyme Capone. Brand Nubian rapper Grand Puba also has a new record coming out on indie label Babygrande records. The disc, titled Retroactive, is scheduled for a June 23 release.
DJ Drama will continue his Gangsta Grillz mixtape series with releases from Gucci Mane, Fabolous, Cory Gunz, Willie The Kid, and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em all in the coming months.
However, his first order of business is the upcoming album, Gangsta Grillz 2, set for release amidst a crowded playing field on May 19 — the same day Eminem, Busta Rhymes, Method Man & Redman all plan to drop their latest discs. “I’m excited—it’s ‘big dog’ day,” Drama told XXLMag.com. “All [those artists] are people that I have the utmost respect for in that I came up loving and supporting their movements so to have an album come out on the same day as all those guys is an honor.”
The dawn of summer will then see a rush of releases from Drama’s signature mixtape series, the first of which will be Cory Gunz’s Heir To The Throne, in the works since November. Willie The Kid’s The Fly will follow, as well as Fabolous’ There Is No Competition Part 2 in anticipation of the Brooklyn emcee’s forthcoming album, Loso’s Way.
Not surprisingly, the Grand Hustle DJ will hook back up with rising ATL star Gucci Mane for a follow-up to The Movie, but Drama is also cooking up a certainly less-expected collaboration — Follow Me with Soulja Boy.
“We met a couple months ago, chopped it up on the phone, and agreed that a Gangsta Grillz would be hot,” said Dram. “He’s definitely been on his mixtape grind and it was only right that we linked up.”
Expect no future collaborations with now ex-Grand Hustle muscle Alfamega, after T.I. kicked him out of the camp amidst the revelation that he was a former DEA informant. Said Drama of Mega’s past, “I wasn’t aware of that and I definitely have to disassociate myself from it.”
To its credit, Blood and Sand has only been on shelves for three months now. However it pales in comparison to the first three months of fan fueled frenzy — 681,000 copies–that pushed the final sales figures for Bulletproof to 1,123,000 copies.
On top of the frustration over the string of Before I Self Destruct release delays and a sagging economy, if his game’s performance is any indicator of the markets willingness to put a buck behind the name 50 Cent, 50 may have a rough year ahead of him.
The Hollywood Black Film Festival has announced the lineup for their 10th anniversary. The festival begins June 2nd and ends on the 7th and will feature 102 films over the 6-day period. Some of the notables this year include Samuel L. Jackson, who executive produced and stars in the full length animated feature, Afro Samurai: Resurrection as well as writer-producer, Antwone Fisher who makes his directorial debut with the short film, “My Summer Friend.”
For more info on the Hollywood Black Film Festival 2009, click here: www.hbff.org
Just because Swine Flu has people groveling in fear of Porky Pig, Babe and bacon related products doesn’t mean they can’t do it style. The WHO (World Health Organization) has raised the of the alert level for Swine Flu to 5, causing an influx in face mack usage and inspiring many designers and mask wearers alike, to add some personal touches to their face wear in the wake of this possible global pandemic.The streets of Mexico city has become hot-spot for stylish safety masks. These are some of our favorites.Japanese illustrator Yoriko Yoshida has even created a specially designed set of swine flu prevention masks to help people stay fashionable during this state of emergency.
The public was in an outraged when it learned that Apple launched an application for the iPhone called “Baby Shaker”, which depicts a crying baby and encourages the user to stop the baby from crying by shaking as fast as possible, resulting in death. Now they have a strict process when selecting new applications, which means an Apple representative not only approved it but also tested the application out. Amid the public scrutiny, Apple has since pulled the application and released the following statement:
“This application was deeply offensive and should have not been approved for the distribution on the App Store. When we learned of this mistake, the app was removed immediately. We sincerely apologize for this mistake and thank our customers for bringing this to our attention.”
Was Apple's apology enough?
The Cool Kids latest mixtape Gone Fishing is officially available for free download as of today. Producer Don Cannon and the rap duo lace the mixtape with 21 bangers, along with guest appearances from Ludacris, Bun B, Ryan Leslie and Kanyeeze’s protégée GLC.
Track Listing:
1. Introduction to Ice Fishing
2. Hammer Brothers
3. Champions
4. Gold Links
5. Cinnamon
6. Premium Blends
7. Step Back
8. Jump Rope feat. Tennille
9. The Last Stretch feat. Jahda
10. The Art of Noise (interlude)
11. The Light Company
12. Popcorn
13. Wise Words by GLC -Told by GLC
14. Pennies (the updated rosters) Remix feat. Ludacris & Bun B
15. Broadcasting Live
16. Takin’ a Break
17. Tune Up
18. Weekend Girls feat. Ryan Leslie
19. Summer Vacations
20. Words of Wisdom by GLC - Told by GLC
21. Knocked Down
In preparation for his album release with T.I.’s Grand Hustle Records, B.o.B ( Bobby Ray) went on the road and put on quite a show when he performed at Connecticut College and the Bamboozle Festival in NJ. The energetic Hip-Hop musician had the crowd going from the start
From Dream to Reality car design exhibition, Kave Naser Bakht, an Iranian student, created the Audi D7 concept car. The sleek futuristic electric powered engine model will be easily noticeable at night with lighting that wraps both sides of the car, leading to the headlights and taillights.
Kid Cudi surprised fans by making a guest appearance at Wale’s NYC concert last night. Kanye’s protegee jumped on stage and performed his Top 5 smash “Day ‘N’ Nite” with Wale’s band, sending the audience into a hypnotic trance. The anticipation continues to soar to new heights for Cudi, as he is set to release his debut LP, Man on the Moon: The Guardian later this summer. Keep reaching for the stars Kid. Get a glimpse of his performance.
