Mixtape! - Lloyd Banks

It's been pretty quiet from the Gorillas from Queens, NY, lately. The most we've heard about G-Unit has been about 50 Cent's upcoming album, set to make its way to the stores towards the end of the year.

But there's more to G-Unit than 50 Cent. The, in my opinion, most talented rapper of the crew, Lloyd Banks, released his last album in 2006. Since then fans around the world have been able to download a couple of mixtapes, and today, on his 27th birthday, he celebrates with a new one in the series.

Finally Lloyd Banks is back in the game for real. Now we're gonna have something to enjoy while waiting for his next official album.

Dowload the mixtape hear:
CD1
CD2

Mixtape! - KiD CuDi

I think I've been writing about this KiD more than any other artist on this blog. But at the moment, it's almost as if the business revolves around him.

With all the retiring talk out of the way, KiD CuDi keeps pumping out new material almost more frequent than we can handle. Following up the massively successful mixtape A KiD named CuDi, comes now the next teaser before the expected debut album this summer. Mixtape no. 2, Dat KiD from Cleveland, contains songs like I Poke Her Face, and features artists like Wale, Kanye West, Common and 88-Keys.

Make your own opinion, is the quality the same as on his first mixtape?

Download Dat KiD from Cleveland here!

Track of the day! - Nelly

Nelly - Heart of a Champion

Track of the day! - G-Unit

G-Unit - Stunt 101

Now that's funny!

Let's just have some fun today and watch a little stand-up comedy. But stand-up isn't just about one-liners and making fun of politicians. It can be so much more than that. Just watch these clips of Aries Spears impersonating LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, DMX, Jay-Z and Michael Jackson.

New from the old!

I don't think that Mr Slim Shady himself, Eminem, needs a presentation. We all know who he is and what he can do.

After a four-year-long break from the rap game, his new album Relapse is set to be released on May 19 this year. And as usual his work is getting criticism from people outside of the Hip hop world. American Bill O'Reilly thrashed his new video to the first single of the album, We Made You, on his TV show. But I can hardly see that anyone really cares.

Here is the new video:

Eminem - We Made You




It follows the clear pattern we by now can call the "Eminem synrome". On every album he has released since his major label debut, The Slim Shady LP, the first single has been a sort of parody. Have a look at this list and you will understand what I mean. (the greatest hits album Curtain Call [2005] is not included)

The Slim Shady LP [1999] - My Name Is
The Marshall Mathers LP [2000] - The Real Slim Shady
The Eminem Show [2002] - Without Me
Encore [2004] - Just Loose It
Relapse [2009] - We Made You

...plus the two D12 albums

Devil's Night [2001] - Purple Pills (even if Shit On You came out before but was pretty much unnoticed)
D12 World [2004] - My Band

Following these non serious first singles has been the complete oposit, purely serious tracks, such as: Guilty Conscience [1999], The Way I am [2000], Cleaning Out My Closet [2002], Mosh [2004] and Fight Music [2001].

So now we just have to wait and see what the second single of Relapse is going to be, but it is definitely going to be a serious one.

Track of the day! - Busta Rhymes

I can't even count how many songs have been released from Busta Rhymes' new album B.O.M.B.S., which has not even hit the streets yet. But here is the latest one, and I must say I like the sound of it.

Busta Rhymes - World Go Round (feat. Estelle)

Mixtape! - U-N-I

Californian rap duo U-N-I has released a new mixtape, which is up for grabs online absolutely free.
The record is a cool mix of laid back tracks and clever rhymes over a beats with a bit of an old school sound. It's all well produced and well performed.

Download the mixtape A Love Supreme here, and let me know what you think.

If you want more of U-N-I, you can download their previous mixtape 'Mick Boogie presents: U-N-I - Before There Was Love', here.

Welcome back!

First of all I apologies for the absence of updates lately. I've had my reasons, but no excuses. It's time to kick-start this blog into action again.

Kingsize magazine published a clip of one of my favourites, Saigon, where he visits DJ Green Lantern and freestyles over an Eminem beat, which is absolutely amazing.

F*** paintings, this is art!

Track of the day! - Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre - What's the difference (feat. Xzibit and Eminem)

Live performance from one of the best tours ever made, Up In Smoke Tour. If you have the chance to get hold of the complete video for this, do not miss the opportunity.

Denial, denial, denial!

...and it took about four days before he changed his mind.

KiD CuDi will not be retiring from the music scene. On a gig at a club on Thursday night, CuDi announced that he will keep the mic in his hand, rather than locking it up in the attic. He admits that he wasn't feeling it when he posted the announcement on his blog, but then realized that he needs his fans as much as they need him.

There you go. Never believe a quitting rapper. A Hiphop artist only retires when he Rests In Peace.

Have a look at a clip from the show where he withdraws his retirement, and please enjoy the performance afterwards:

Track of the day! - Three 6 Mafia

Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly (feat. 8Ball & MJG and Young Buck)

"I had a bad experience...!"

The versatile Mos Def has announced he is back in the studio, working on his next album 'The Ecstatic'. Some people may recognize him more as an actor, starring in movies like The Italian Job, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and, my personal favourite, Be Kind Rewind.The album is set to come out late spring/summer this year.

It's nice to have him back in the game. Let's just hope he hasn't lost any of his rap skills while exchanging the stage for the big screens.

Mos Def - Summertime

Track of the day! - Nelly

Right now I feel like a champion!

Nelly - Heart of a champion

Playlist!

Anthony Hamilton - Cool (feat. David Banner)
Youngbloodz - Presidential
D-12 - Revelation
Nelly - Batter up (feat. St. Lunatics)
The Game - My Life (feat. Lil' Wayne)
Shawn Wigs - Gotta hold on (feat. Eamon)
Houston - I like that (feat. Chingy and Nate Dogg)
Onyx - Slam Harder
Dr. Dre - Still D.R.E (feat. Snoop Dogg)
Hurricane Chris - Bang
G-Unit - Poppin' them thangs
M.O.P - Ante up
LL Cool J - Phenomenon

L for Loser!

New day, new video, new artist.

Star in the making Charles Hamilton has released his second single, and here is the visual proof:



'Loser' is Hamilton's follow up to the hit 'Brookyn Girls'. His style can best be compared to other more laid back lyricists like Lupe Fiasco and KiD CuDi, but Hamilton is a bit more cocky.

It's a style that is spreading quick and taking up the battle with "gangsta rap". And for some reason it seems like it is the rappers from northern America that takes on this approach. E.g. Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco from Chicago, and KiD CuDi who is from the same home town as Hamilton, Cleveland, Ohio.

But I like it. So as far as I'm concerned, they can come from Alaska, Greenland or the North Pole, as long as they deliver.

Track of the day! - Roots Manuva

Roots Manuva - Witness the fitness

Review: CNN - Channel 10

It's been 12 years since CNN made their last appearence on the air, and it shows. The duo are having troubles finding their own sound. Every track of the album is different from the other. The sound differs according to the producers behind the beat, while Capone and NORE puts their rhymes on it, almost like three seas and two continents have separated them for the last couple of years rather than a prison wall.

NORE instantly takes charge of the album, while Capone just tries to keep up. But the distance is too far between them for him to catch up. We get predictable tracks and impersonal beats. Although there are a few exeptions.

The DJ Premier produced 'Grand Royal' is pure, classic New York hip hop, that will take anyone back to the 90's. Other tracks that stands out has got a clever hook, different chorus or personal lyrics. But to be fair, the album is not packed with them. With the material used we are allowed to expect straight up quality from each and every song, and espeacially 'My Hood' with Clipse, Maino, Uncle Murda and Tha Dogg Pound should be able to knock you of your seat, but I sit quite comfortably at the moment.

Best track: Channel 10

Grade: 3/5

Track of the day! - Huey

Huey - Pop, Lock and Drop it

True Story!

It's 2006. It's spring. It's just another day in paradise(?).

I'm at work as usual. Sports shop. Selling shoes. Joggers, trainers, sneakers, take your pick. Me and my co-worker David are alone in the shop so what is otherwise known as "forbidden shop music" is streaming through the speakers, placed high up under the ceiling. It's one of those fresh spring days in the end of march. On of those days you can keep the door open and it feels like summer. On of those days when the tarmac in the shade is a bit damp, but the tarmac in the sun is as dry as my dads sense of humour.

A car with the roof dropped down, probably for the first time this year, stops at the red light. We can hear what music they're playing, D4L - Laffy Taffy, and they can hear the music we're playing, The Game - Hate it or love it (feat 50 cent). The volume in the store is probably to high but who is going to find out?

The day goes by in a slow pace. The customers who make the days go by are not customers today. They are out in the sun. But the slow pace is nice today anyway. No rush, no worries.

As I wrap up one of few sales, new customers step in through the door. The anoying "pling" doesn't go off because we turned it off. However, these customers makes themselves heard anyway. They're big, they're American. They all wear baggy jeans, New Era caps, some pieces of jewelery and similar jackets with the print Wu Tang on the back.

"Whaddup man!", the man in front say to me.
I can't really squease out a reply at first. Because it just occured to me that Wu Tang Clan just stepped in to our little store on Södermalm in Stockholm. I don't even have to make sure because I know it's them, they're performing tonight, but I ask anyway:
"Are you really Wu Tang Clan?"
"Fo sho", he reply, smiling and showing of his "grill".

The 'Killa Bees' start looking around the shop. David looks at me with a surprised, astouned and happy face. The music is not loud anymore. We can't even hear it. But we can hear our famous customers asking for Timberlands. I step down to the dark basement and bring them what they want.

As they walk out 25 minutes later, the music goes back on. A few new customers come in, and a few new customers leave. But I don't move. Neither do David. But yet we walk around in the footsteps of Wu Tang Clan. Then we realise; David's Wu Tang shirt is on the counter, completely forgotten, completely unsigned.