Saturday, May 31, 2008

How To Make A Porn: You Gotta Tease 'Em

Thursday, May 29, 2008

No More Waiting For The Cable Guy?

Sony, cable providers sign digital TV agreement

BY KEIKO MORRIS

May 29, 2008

Cable customers may soon have another alternative to the digital set-top box.

Sony Electronics and six of the largest cable companies, including Cablevision Systems Corp., have signed an agreement that paves the way for "two-way," digital cable-ready TVs to be sold on the market, according to Sony and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA). The pact also ensures that the cable operators adopt the tru2way software as their standard interactive technology.

"It provides something consumers have been asking for and looking for in terms of the ability to not have a set-top box and to have two-way technology that allows for more interactive applications that can be deployed nationally so it will be a universal platform," said Brian Dietz, NCTA spokesman.

At the moment, most cable customers rent digital set-top boxes from a cable operator to receive digital cable programming. A few manufacturers like Panasonic, LG Electronics and Samsung have manufactured TV sets equipped to receive digital programming using a cable card.

But those TVs do not allow customers to use two-way services such as video on demand. Consumers also have complained about the narrow selection of TVs equipped to handle the cable cards and difficulties activating the TV and the card with their cable operator's system, industry experts said.

Sony is not the only manufacturer that has agreed to develop interactive devices with the tru2way technology. Panasonic, which will sell a tru2way-enabled TV in the fall, also signed a 2005 agreement. Sony's agreement goes further, Dietz said.

The pact -- also signed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Charter and Bright House Networks -- sets July 1, 2009 as the deadline for the cable operators to have the technology deployed in 20 percent of the leased set-top boxes to show that their system can support the technology, he said. The deadline for Charter to roll out the technology is 2010.

The deal doesn't exclude any other manufacturers from joining and the technology could be used in other Sony products, said David Migdal, a Sony Electronics spokesman.

Cablevision and Time Warner Cable both voiced support for the new technology.

"Cablevision has supported the cable industry's commitment to one-way devices through the deployment of CableCARDs, and we will be supportive of two-way devices that may be developed by Sony and other consumer electronics manufacturers under tru2way specifications," the company said in a statement. The Bethpage-based cable operator has agreed to purchase Newsday from Tribune Co. for $650 million.

Verizon did not sign the agreement, calling tru2way a "proprietary cable initiative that does not embrace the variety of platforms in the entertainment space, including satellite, IP and Verizon's hybrid platforms."

While the new technology will eliminate set-top boxes for some customers, industry experts said the extinction of the boxes is far off in the future.

In the past, cable companies have expressed concern over piracy and insisted on controlling the equipment used with their systems, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst and president of the Enderle Group. Rather than allow regulators to set the requirements for two-way technology, the cable industry negotiated this agreement on their terms, he said.

Copyright © 2008, Newsday Inc.

Mick Boogie & Phil Nash - Phil Of The Future



Click Here To Download

J Dilla - Pay Jay



Click Here To Download

01. Diamonds
02. We F’ed Up (Prod. Kanye West)
03. Fuck The Police (Prod. J Dilla)
04. Remember (Prod. Pete Rock)
05. Fight Club (Prod. Waajeed)
06. Creepin’ On You
07. Trucks
08. No One Knows (Prod. Supa Dave West)
09. Drive Me Wild (Prod. ?uestlove & Kareem Riggins)
10. Unknown Track (Prod. Bink Dawg)
11. Remember Remix

Android Prototype Q & A

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Android Dream Demo (playlist)

We Need To Do Better (nws language)

Maybe, you think I am being overly sensitive, but I don't care how young your child is but, does this youtube monologue really require his presence? If he is getting this chickenheadery while on camera, just imagine the level he is exposed to off camera!

*sigh*

Am I wrong?

Sunday, May 25, 2008

First the Fat Boys break-up . . .

and now the only music magazine that I still checked for on the stands is gone.

Pour out a little of whatever you're drinking for Mass Appeal. At least they are maintaining their online presence.

This can't be life.

:(

MISSING (iNightmare)



Have you seen these or their cousin, the DVD?

Does anyone still go into a store and actually buy CDs? I love buying CDs. Especially for my favorite artists and those artists that I like but aren't gold and platinum selling. I love walking out of the store with and having that case and liner notes in my hand. Everytime I buy a Hip-Hop CD and I know DJ Premier has a track on it, I scan the notes for his song and it's typically the first thing that I play.

Lots of times I like to admire the artwork on the cover while I'm listening to the album the first time through if it cover art of note. Although, sadly, that's a dying art as well. Last dope album cover I remember was Blackstar's album cover. Now, I'll buy individual tracks online and sometimes albums that I just absolutely can't find a physical copy. When buying digital music I use Amazon.com's mp3 store, which by the way is the greatest thing ever! All of their songs are DRM free, which means they can be played on any mp3 player. They also have a massive library of music, which doesn't require a subscription or software that needs to be downloaded in order to use their store, which can't be said for most major online music retailers. I can't believe it took them this long to finally get into the digital music business. Seemed like such a logical step. I know it's definitely good for the consumer since Apple has become the top music retailer of any kind. They definitely need the compitition. Monopolies are never good for the consumer.

Enough with the Amazon love and back to the original topic of this blog, CDs and why people aren't buying them. I know it's so easy to cop music online, but when you hear a great album don't you still go to the store and cop it to support the artist? I know you're saying, "but, 8, you have music to download on your blog!" Yes, this is true, but I tend to keep things to an indivdual track or mixtapes, which are for promotional use only. :) But, even when I do download an album for free, if it's hot I still go out and buy it, unless we are talking about Jay-Z's of the world (although the only hot album he has is Reasonable Doubt and I do own that) who along with Madonna & possibly 50 Cent are no longer focusing on CD/music sales. They are concentrating more on other means of revenue like clothing, vitamin water, acting & concerts. Hell, newer artists like The Cool Kids aren't even that concerned about selling albums at all. According to Chuck of The Cool Kids in an interview with Rhapsody.com,
Everybody is like, “Aright, so when’s the album coming out?” We’re probably just going to keep leaking songs till we figure this thing out. Why not? Who cares? If we have a song and you want to hear it, you can get it. So what is the point? I’m just really rebellious toward what I can and can’t do. I can do whatever I want. If it was up to me, I’d just make CDs and put them out. You can’t sell music, man. It’s not possible. You can sell tickets to a show so you can do those songs. We’re past selling music. It’s boring.


If I'm lucky enough to ever have children, I wonder if they will even know what a CD is. It's probably going to be just as bad for DVDs in the next year or two. Movie and TV show rentals make total sense. I would download or stream a rental, easily through something like Netflix, Zune Marketplace or iTunes. Apple now makes movies available to buy the same day as the DVDs hit the shelves, previously they would be available a month after DVD release. Even Blockbuster is attempting to throw their hat in the video download ring. With their bid to buy Circuit City it's believed that they would use Circuit City as a way to sell set top boxes that would receive the movies that you would download from Blockbuster's website.

I can watch a TV show on my laptop, but I don't know if I want to sit infront of a monitor to watch a movie. I'll often find myself catching an episode of The Office on Hulu.com. But, when it comes to movies the only options in regards to downloading for me would be something like Apple TV or the proposition that Blockbuster may offer if the aquisition of Circuit City is successful. I need to see my movies on TV, but even with that as an option I still want that case and cover. Plus, do these movie downloads come with all the extras of the DVD? I just caught Iron Man in the theater on Friday and when that movie is released how could you not have the extras, also?

There's something to be said for shelves full fo CDs & DVDs. I guess it's the High Fidelity in me.

*shrug*

p.s. What's the last CD or DVD that you went into a store to buy?

p.p.s. When and if you do legal downloading, what service do you use?


Jay-Z & Fela Kuti: Nigerian Gangster



Friday, May 23, 2008

Glow In The Dark Mixtape



Click Here To Download

01. Mahito Yokota - Intro
02. Mickey Factz & N*E*R*D - Locked Away
03. Lupe Fiasco - Gold Watch
04. Rihanna - Good Girl Gone Bad
05. Kanye West - Hey Mama (2008 Studio Version)
06. Lupe Fiasco - Dumb It Down (Live)
07. Rihanna - Sell Me Candy
08. Pharrell - International Swagger
09. Kanye West, Dwele & Colin Munroe - Flashing Lights(Remix) exclusive
10. N*E*R*D - Tape You/Nasty Naughty
11. Rihanna - Push Up On Me
12. Lupe Fiasco - What It Do
13. PM - Hater Family
14. N*E*R*D - I was Waiting For You
15. Kanye West - I Wonder Freestyle Live
16. Lupe Fiasco - Streets On Fire
17. Rihanna - Umbrella (Unplugged)
18. Kanye West & Mos Def - Good Night
19. Felli Fel, Neyo, Fabolous, Kanye, JD - Finer Things (Bonus Track)

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Melyssa Ford Topless Photos

I know that title was all types of wrong, but I couldn't help it. This needs to be read. lol I came across it on SCAN and I was pissed that I didn't write this first! lol I would say that this should be considered Man-Laws for Black Males of any age. These trends don't stop after 21, it's even worse when you see 30 and 40 year olds that look like they are on their way to a Soulja Boy video shoot.

The Secret Council of American Negroes Average Bro's New Man-Laws For Young Black Males

This a cross-posting from our blackness historian and pop culturalist, Average Bro. Here he examines how we at the Secret Council of American Negroes and other Negroes across our nation can help our wayward youth.

As ya'll know, AverageBro Loves Da' Kids. My site's ulterior motive is to convince you guys to Take The AverageBro Challenge and spend an occasional Saturday morning with an impressionable Black youth. I talked hella greasy about Atlanta rapper TI for trying to knock off his community service by speaking to Atlanta-area teens last month. But reality is if more black folks who've "made it" took a moment to help others out, there would be no such need. Basically, if you're not doing anything to prevent the next Latarian Milton, Genarlow Wilson, or Bryant Purvis, you shouldn't say jack when the inevitable happens.

Stepping off my high horse, I witnessed something truly odd today when I went to the mall to grab some Mother's Day gifts. As I was getting out of my car, a gold sedan packed four-deep with young black teens pulled up in the spot adjacent to me. The dudes were typical suburban wannabe thugs. Oversized cubic zirconia earrings. Pinwheel New Era caps. Those stupid lookin' skater hoodies. This in and of itself is nothing notable, but what really hit me was the music they had blaring at 120 decibels from their stereo.

Deez bamas were riding four deep in the burbs, blastin' Moments In Love by Art of Noise.

Anyways, as I walked away shaking my head, it suddenly occurred to me just why male mentors are so important. Young dudes of Generation Xbox are more likely than any other to have not grown up with a father, uncle, grandpa, or some man in their lives to tell them it is emphatically not gangsta to roll four deep, or even two deep, blasting quiet storm-type slow jams with your boys. Call me old, homophobic, sexist, or whatever ist/ic you'd like, but that idd'ish was just wrong.

Since I can't personally be a mentor to all youngins, I figured I'd throw together a list of avuncular advice for this latest generation of young bucks who don't know no better. If you know a black male 21 and Under, feel free to cut and paste this post and send it to them. Since they probably won't bother reading it, title the email "Melyssa Ford Topless Photos" or some such nonsense to trick em'. While I thought that Budweiser campaign was jive silly, I have to liberally jack the concept to help steer our young black men from the path to prison and general mediocrity.

So in that spirit, here's a few more of AverageBro.com's New "Man-Laws" For Young Black Males.

1) MySpace Rapper Is Not a Legitimate Career Option - The problem with rap music nowadays is too many damn rappers and not enough fans. Watch 106th and Park, cruise the comments section at XXL, or just drive around your nearest hood and peep the scrum stapled to every telephone pole. You'll see plenty evidence that MySpace Rapper is the new ghetto dream/hood come-up. The problem is, most of these rappers suck, and none of these dudes trying to rap have apparently noticed that music period, not just rap music, isn't even selling anymore! You'd be better off goin' to trade school, getting that GED, or just goin' back to hustlin' than you would trying to "get your label off the ground". There's only one Jay-Z for a reason. And guess what? You ain't him! Stay in school, fool.

2) Bright Colors Are Not Your Friend - This trend is thankfully jumping the shark as I type this, but what the hell ever happened to wearing earth tones, or just plain black? Bamas will rock pastel polos, Crayola-inspired sneakers, and those stupid lookin' multicolored pinwheel baseball caps like they're 3rd graders. Enough already.

3) Be Nice To Johnny Law - My Pops taught me a very basic rule for dealing with the cops: Don't! 99% of the time, if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about. So when a cop pulls you over, comply. Don't act a damn fool and end up in a pine box. Yes, there are some egregious examples of cops who blatantly abuse their power, but far more often, the catalyst for an ass whoppin' is some Negro who just didn't know when to shut up. Do what they ask you to do, take down badge numbers and names, and live to tell your lawyer about it the next day.

4) 'Shawty' Is Not A Term of Endearment - Learn how to treat and talk to women. One benefit of youth is having the room to experiment and figure out what you like about the opposite sex without tangible commitments (ie: a ring and kids). So, by all means enjoy yourselves. But no woman likes to be catcalled and shouted at. "Ay Ma!", "S'up Shaaawwtaaay!", and "C'mere Girl!" are not proper ways of attracting young ladies. Learn how to simply smile, say "Hello", and introduce yourself. And if the girl isn't interested, no need to insult her by hurling an "Eff' You Beeyotch!" as she walks away. Just pick up your dignity and keep on' fishin'.

5) Enunciation Is A Beautiful Thang - My Pops also taught me the importance of how to speak to grown-ups in a way that commands respect. Speak loudly, clearly, enunciate, and use direct eye contact if you want to be taken seriously. Don't show up for your job interview wearing aviator shades and mumbling to the floor like one enterprising young brother I observed at an H&M store in Philly last Summer. Discover the joys of code-switching, and learn the appropriate places and times for using words like "jawn", "young", and "tight". Eliminate the word "conversate" from your vocab altogether. If you're vexed, peep my epic The AverageBro Broken English Hall of Shame post, and it's accompanying comments for further guidance.

6) Pull Up Your Damn Pants - We already talked about the whole bright colors thing. But hues aside, make sure you're putting your best foot forward when the occasion deems to necessary. All pencil jeans should be burned immediately. Ditto for those skater hoodies. Pull up your damn pants. Liberace wore themed belt buckes. If you don't know who he is, Google him, then trash yours. And while I'm all for accessorizing, there is no rational explanation for wearing Air Jordans, a black and white pinwheel cap, aviator sunglasses, and carrying a walking cane when you're wearing a black suit... at a funeral. Exercise some common sense and dress according to your environment. And oh yeah, no more pencil jeans.

7) Leave An Open Seat - This is closely related to the No Slow Jams rule. If you're at the movies and there's enough space, for the love of all things precious, leave an empty seat between you and your boys! You are not on a date, you are watching a movie with friends, so space it out. You can communicate with each other just fine when separated by an empty seat, and who knows, if you're lucky, a nice young lady might want that seat. And you won't even have to call her "shawty" either.

8) Blunts Are Not A Nutritional Supplement - Your body is your temple; not an ashtray for roaches. Two Strawberry Swishers (or Phillies, whatever floats your proverbial boat) do not equal a serving of fruits and veggies. Recreational drug habits make it difficult to hold down a real job, rob you of pocket change, and permanently char your lips. If you've really gotta do this though, at least have the decency to partake in the sanctity of your Mama's basement, not while driving your Mama's car down Georgia Ave in mid-day.

9) Enough With The Feminine Grooming Habits - I'm a Kappa Man, so I understand the importance of looking good. That said, some of these young dudes nowadays are taking the whole Omarion/Ne-Yo I'm-So-Hood' metrosexual thing a bit too far. Baby hair is for babies. You shouldn't be using your little sister's makeup pencil to draw imaginary hair anywhere on your person. And if you've actually arched your eyebrows, or even remotely considered arching your eyebrows, just go ahead and stick your head in an oven right now. Life isn't getting any easier.

10) Read A G.D. Book - This isn't strictly a young black male phenomenon by any means, but let's break this habit while we're still young. Every time I go to the barbershop, I hear all sorts of misinformation floating around. "Obama's a Muslim." "Ciara's a hermaphrodite." "The reparations checks are in the mail." "Tupac is secretly living in Brazil." "John McCain is bringing SlaveryBack... yep." All untrue, and all easily refutable if you'd read something other than King Magazine and the Post sports section. Man Up! and get yourself a library card. Smart is the new cool, fool.

Again, feel free to disagree and flame me in the comments. If you're on board, add your additions below. But whatever you do, don't ignore the message because you dislike the messenger. Either way, Take The AverageBro Challenge to help save our young black boys and girls[6] from a future of Flavor of Love casting calls, HPV, and commissary deposits. And if you can't do that, at least forward this post to your nephews. P.S.: don't forget the "Melyssa Ford Topless Photos" subject line.

Because we go to do better than those damn pencil legged jeans.



This blog has been brought to you by SCAN.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Monday, May 19, 2008

Nerdgasm Vol.1: I feel a little tingly in my underparts!



Courtesy of Ultra Awesome

Kidz In The Hall - Geniuses Need Love Too



Click Here To Download

01 Intro
02 Dreamin’ (Baby I’m the Shit)
03 What Up Wit Me (If It Isn’t Love)
04 Do What Grown Folks Do
05 Littlest Things
06 Sweet 16 (All My Ladies)
07 Mi Amor
08 Make It Last
09 Drivin’ Down the Block
10 Blackout (Snippet)
11 Work To Do (Obama '08)

The In Crowd

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Can She Kick It?/I Know She Got Sole

Basically this blog is for me to write about shit I like and to hopefully turn you on to it as well and hopefully for you to pass the word. I don't know her. Hell, I don't even know her gubment (yeah, I wrote it!). But, anyway I first came across Kromey on Last.fm. She seemed to be a huge Nas fan and she was one of the few women on the site who actually had a high to super compatibility rating with me, plus her avitars always caught my eye. So, I did my normal e-team thing and hit her up with an invite to my group on Last.fm. Well, fast forward to last week. I always saw the link to her site on her last.fm page, but I never bothered to click for whatever reason. Lately I have been looking for new wallpaper for my laptop and I hadn't been able to find anything hot in ages. So I happened to stumble upon her last.fm page recently and decide to click on Kromey.com and I found out that her shit is ridiculous! Everything is insane! The site layout is crazy and the photos and faux oil paintings are pure fire! If you don't like her shit then I don't like you! lol Just kidding, but check out some of her work (note - her first pic is my current wallpaper):















If you like what you see, and how could you not, hit up her site. If you need artwork for a project or a website done, I'm pretty sure she can make your shit tighter.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Bill O'Reilly's Producer

You better know your shit if you wanna play Hardball!

MGS4 Limited Edition PS3



The MGS4 Limited Edition PS3 Hardware Bundle will be available exclusively from Konami.com, you can actually hit the link and “Wish List” it right now (hint, hint). The price is $599.99 and it comes with the Gun Metal Gray PLAYSTATION 3 system with a 40GB hard drive, the bundle also includes a matching DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition game.

The MGS4 LE game box contains: The Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots game, which includes Metal Gear Online, enabling you to take part in the ultimate multiplayer squad based tactical shooter. An exclusive Blu-ray disc including over 2 hours of additional content - “Hideo Kojima’s Gene”, a behind-the-scenes vision of Hideo Kojima’s production team & game and “The Making of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” documentary. As well as, the official Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots CD Soundtrack, including 16 never-before-released tracks by Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek, Armageddon, The Rock), Nobuko Toda, and Ennio Morricone.

Pre-orders for the bundle will begin on Monday May 19th, 2008, and again, is in very limited supply. Only one per customer. We will be releasing limited quantities of stock day to day until completely sold out, so for notices about stock availability please stay tuned right here on the PS Blog and at Konami.com!

Info courtesy of Playstation Blog

Keith Olbermann: The Best Thing On TV

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Google's Demo of Android

J.Period & Don Cannon Present . . . Skillz: Design of A Decade Volume 1



Click Here To Download

01. Design Of A Decade [Intro]
02. L.I.K.W.I.T. (Featuring Boogie & Big Shot)
03. F.P. (Featuring Phonte & Lil Roc)
04. N.G.B.A.T.D.I.
05. Dreams
06. B.O.B.
07. D.D.W. (Featuring Boogie, Doubt Gotcha & J. Black)
08. Design Of A Decade [Interlude]
09. G & G
10. T.D.N.
11. W.F.T.H.
12. G.U.G.O. (Featuring Wax)
13. F.E.A.
14. Spittage
15. F.F. (Featuring Garnett)
16. I.R.P.
17. Outtro

Go Cop His Album!

Pacific Division - Sealed For Freshness: The Blendtape



Click Here To Download

01. Intro
02. Pacific Division
03. Definition
04. Nasty
05. Put Me On
06. You Know My Style
07. Act Like You Chillin’
08. Passin’ Me By
09. Flexin’
10. Brand New
11. Grown Kids Syndrome
12. How We Chill
13. Do My Thing
14. Unbelievable
15. Okay (Like This)
16. Syc & Mibbs
17. Bang It
18. Run
19. Relax

Like Liquor For Punks



Click Here

Friday, May 9, 2008

Everybody, Out Of The Pool! (Rambling Man)

This has been irking me for a minute, but why does the cartoon network have live action shows? It's not the live action show network! Not only do they have live action shows they have incredibly unfunny live action shows. Only a crackhead can laugh at Tim & Eric or Tom Goes To The Mayor! Give me more new episodes of Stoker & Hoop, Home Movies, Harvey Birdman & The Boondocks. Yeah, I know all of those have been long gone with the exception of The Boondocks, but if Fox can bring back Family Guy from the dead, Adult Swim and grant me these small wishes.

At least I have this to look forward to:

Scion A-V Remix Project Ghostface Killah Remixes (4-Track Remix Maxi-Single)



Click Here To Download

Bitch Be Politrickin'

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Wiz Khalifa - Prince Of The City 2



Click Here To Download

01 Intro
02 Got Damn Love It
03 Go'on Hate
04 Should I Feel Bad
05 Gettin It
06 Be Easy
07 Poppin' Rubberbands
08 Got What You Need
09 Shake Em Off
10 Head To The Sky
11 Gotta Get It
12 Talk To Ya
13 Chevy [Remix]
14 Gone
15 Buss Down
16 Smokin' Good
17 Who I Am
18 Time Goes By
19 I Own It!
20 I Still Remember

Best Of Lauryn Hill Vol. 2



Click Here

01. LIGHT MY FIRE / JOSE FELICIANO INTRO
02. SUPERSTAR
03. GUANTANAMERA
04. FU GEE LA (REFUGEES REMIX)
05. FU GEE LA (GLOBAL REMIX) (UNRELEASED)
06. FU GEE LA (J.PERIOD STORY TO TELL REMIX)
07. ALL MY TIME F. PAID & LIVE (UNRELEASED)
08. WHAT ABOUT MY HONEY MARY? (INTERLUDE)
09. BE WITH YOU (REMIX) F. MARY J. BLIGE
10. ALL SO SIMPLE (INTERLUDE)
11. EX FACTOR
12. MANIFEST (LIVE IN UK - UNRELEASED)
13. THE SWEETEST THING (ORIGINAL)
14. ZIGGY MARLEY INTERLUDE
15. TURN YOUR LIGHTS DOWN LOW (REMIX) F. BOB MARLEY
16. CEDELLA MARLEY INTERLUDE
17. WAR (LIVE IN TOKYO - UNRELEASED)
18. NO MORE TROUBLE (LIVE IN TOKYO - UNRELEASED)
19. REHEARSAL (BACKSTAGE EXCLUSIVE)
20. ZION
21. ON HAVING CHILDREN (INTERLUDE)
22. CAN’T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU
23. BONITA APPLEBUM INTERLUDE
24. KILLING ME SOFTLY
25. KILLING ME SOFTLY F. MOS DEF (J.PERIOD REMIX)
26. MOS DEF INTERLUDE
27. LIKE WATER F. COMMON & BLACK THOUGHT
(WORLD PREMIERE! REMIX PROD. BY J.PERIOD)
28. MUSICAL INFLUENCES (INTERLUDE)
29. I NEVER DREAMED YOU’D LEAVE IN SUMMER
30. NOTHING EVEN MATTERS (F. D’ANGELO)
31. TELL HIM (LIVE)
32. MR. INTENTIONAL (LIVE)
33. MESSAGE TO THE CRITICS
34. SAM COOKE TRIBUTE
35. A CHANGE IS GONNA COME (UNRELEASED)
36. MESSAGE TO THE FANS / CHRIS ROCK OUTTRO
37. REDEMPTION SONG F. ZIGGY MARLEY
(LIVE IN JAMAICA)
38. ON GRATITUDE/THE PASSION (REPRISE)

Best Of Lauryn Hill Vol. 1



Click Here

01. WELCOME: THE PASSION
02. THE REINTRODUCTION F. ROHAN MARLEY
03. LOST ONES (J.PERIOD SOUNDCLASH REMIX)
04. LOST ONES (J.PERIOD DEFINITION REMIX)
05. NAS ON LAURYN HILL
06. IF I RULED THE WORLD
07. IF I RULED THE WORLD
(J.PERIOD LOST TAPES REMIX)
08. KEEP IT TIGHT F. DJ SKRIBBLE
09. ON POETRY (INTERLUDE)
10. FAMILY BUSINESS
11. YEAR OF THE DRAGON F. WYCLEF
12. THE SCORE
13. MEETING THE FUGEES INTERLUDE
14. NAPPY HEADS (REMIX)
15. FLEX FREESTYLE (J.PERIOD REMIX)
16. BLACK THOUGHT INTERLUDE
17. DOO WOP (J.PERIOD ATLIENS REMIX)
18. DOO WOP (J.PERIOD BOOKS REMIX)
19. SWEETEST THING (MAHOGANY REMIX)
20. MAHOGANY F. JOHN FORTE (J.PERIOD REMIX)
21. READY FOR THE SHOW
22. READY OR NOT F. BIGGIE (J.PERIOD EXCLUSIVE REMIX)
23. MESSAGE MUSIC (INTERLUDE)
24. RECOGNITION F. WYCLEF (PANTHER)
25. RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE F. Q-TIP & JOHN FORTE
(REMIX PRODUCED BY J.PERIOD)
26. REFUGEES IN SWEDEN INTERLUDE (LIVE EXCLUSIVE)
27. ZEALOTS
28. ‘96 UK FREESTYLE (UNRELEASED)
29. HOW MANY MICS
30. HOW MANY MICS (J.PERIOD TRUTH REMIX)
31. KILLING A SOUNDBOY F. BUJU BANTON + STEELE
(WORLD PREMIERE! REMIX PROD. BY J.PERIOD)
32. STRICTLY ROOTS INTERLUDE (LIVE EXCLUSIVE)
33. WATCH OUT FOR BABYLON FREESTYLE
(J.PERIOD JAMROCK REMIX)
34. YOU HAVE TO RESPECT JERSEY (J.PERIOD EXCLUSIVE)
35. ALLIES (F. WISE INTELLIGENT)
36. COWBOYS F. FUGEES, OUTSIDAZ & RAH DIGGA
37. BAM BAM INTERLUDE (PROD. BY J.PERIOD)
38. FU GEE LA (SLY & ROBBIE REMIX)
39. EX-FACTOR (SIMPLE BREAKDOWN) (J.PERIOD HEADACHE REMIX)
40. SIMPLE BREAKDOWN (J.PERIOD RESPIRATION REMIX)
41. CHANGE COMES EVENTUALLY INTERLUDE
42. EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING
43. BONUS: SOON AS I GET HOME (LIVE IN SWEDEN)

Wiz Khalifa - Grow Season (Hosted by Green Lantern)



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01 Intro
02 Ya Mean
03 When They See Me (Featuring Weeze)
04 Talk To Me
05 Fans Takin Pictures (Featuring Kev Tha Hustler)
06 I'm That Nigga
07 Lifted
08 Way 2 Go
09 Grammy Family Freestyle (Featuring Kev Tha Hustla)
10 Told Ya'll
11 Young Boy Fresh
12 Grow
13 Vato (Featuring Kev Tha Hustla)
14 New Money

50 Cent - 80 Cent (50 Meets The 80's)



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The Bar Exam (Hosted by DJ Premier)



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DJ Premier & Nas - New York State Of Mind



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01. Intro
02. Flyest Come Up
03. Made You Question
04. I Can Return
05. Got Urself
06. Survival Of The Invincible
07. Virgos Act Like
08. Salute Me Enemy
09. Just To Get A Thief
10. NYSOM
11. Back Down Devils
12. Recognize My Style
13. Real Black Zombies
14. Fast Realness
15. Nastradamus Theme
16. One Mic Madness
17. Memory Lane
18. Warrior's Work
19. Poison Plus

Monday, May 5, 2008

Where's the MP3 player for real music nerds?

This isn't new, but it's something that has been rolling around in my head for a minute. My main concern is that I want an mp3 player with in depth id3 tagging. I want to be able to see the year, genre, subgenre and any other info you can think of for music file. Anyway, here's the article from CNET.COM's MP3 Insider:

Forget the iPod. MP3 players for the Long Tail.

After walking the floor of this year's Consumer Electronics Showcase (CES), I've seen the future of MP3 players, and it's dull. In 2008, it seems manufacturers are becoming more content with the idea that they'll never compete with the iPod in the hearts and minds of consumers. Unfortunately, there's still a noticeable lemming effect that keeps manufacturers pumping out Nano clones despite their better judgment. As Apple's own iPod prices keep declining, however, and their iTunes software becomes stronger, the incentive for consumers to buy non-iPod MP3 players will inevitably shrink. In order to adapt (and possibly coexist) with an increasingly iPod world, why don't manufacturers throw out their stale B-grade MP3 players and start seizing the unique opportunities to create niche devices for today's Long Tail marketplace? After all, there are problems to be solved with MP3 players that no one--not even Apple--has been able to figure out yet.

For instance, here's something that has always puzzled me: Why is it that most of the MP3 players that cross my desk aren't created for the people who truly love music? Almost any off-the-shelf MP3 player is enough to keep a casual music listener entertained--but what about the serious music nerds? What about those die-hard music savants who lurk on Pitchfork or tidy up their favorite band's entry in Wikipedia? These guys shouldn't have to suffer the indignity of being restricted to basic ID3 tag sorting or thumbnail cover art. And yet, among the parade of MP3 players on my desk that are made for joggers, commuters, business travelers, or gadget geeks, not one touts itself as being the superior device for people who consider music central to their lives. In short, most manufacturers are creating gadgets for themselves, catering only to the out-of-touch executives and technically-minded engineering teams that fill their ranks. It's a familiar problem that plagues many industries, but because music lovers are such large and intensely devoted consumer group, ignoring their whims just seems like bad business.

For example:

Where's the MP3 player for the record store employee who wants to sort his music by record label and create his own sub-genre tags?

Where's the MP3 player for stoners who want trippy interactive visuals to accompany a lossless version of Dark Side of the Moon?

Where's the MP3 player for the indie rock vinyl collector who feels lost without life size album artwork and liner notes?

Where's the MP3 player for the groupie who wants to know where their favorite band is touring?

Where's the classical music MP3 player that allows you to sort by historical period and display sheet music?

Where's the classical music MP3 player that allows you to sort by historical period and display sheet music?

Despite my whining, I understand why these manufacturers are slow to change their strategy. First off, these companies are global in scope and the market for MP3 players in the US is not identical to other parts of the world. Secondly, most of these companies don't simply make MP3 players. Companies such as Philips, Sony, SanDisk, Creative, and Samsung, manufacture everything from cell phones to electric toothbrushes. Not surprisingly, these companies seem to conceive and market their MP3 players the same way they would an LCD TV or an SD memory card. The result is usually an incrementally improved product, with a competitive set of features and a mass-market design. These products make a lot of sense financially. An iPod alternative from any of the previously mentioned manufacturers typically offer retailers healthy markups and easy sales. Unfortunately, marketing an MP3 player made specifically for fans of audiobooks, or techno DJs, takes more than just an endcap display at Best Buy and a listing in the SkyMall catalog.

The question is: is it worth it for these companies to break away from the product formula they've come to depend on, just to create an MP3 player that may only appeal to a small group of people? Well, it depends who you ask.

There are hundreds of thousands of people, people far more obsessive than I, for whom listening to music is one of the most cherished and enriching experiences in life. For the majority of us, however, music is just entertaining filler. I'm not here to say music savants are better people than casual listeners, I just want to point out that Apple has already made the best MP3 player for casual listeners, so why not chase after the group that's not being served? As the iPod becomes more entrenched in its strictly mainstream appeal, serious music aficionados will want portable music players that distinguish them from the herd and provide a deeper connection to the music and artists they love. If we dig further, beyond the scope of music savants, there are other overlooked opportunities to create devices for people with poor eyesight; weatherproof MP3 players for extreme backpackers; or an MP3 player for people who just want podcasts and newsfeeds.

In terms of numbers of units sold, however, there will always be a place for inexpensive, nondescript MP3 players. After all, the majority of people consume music slowly and passively, using it as an escape from their daily commute or as a distraction from their gym workout. There are far more people looking for a cheap MP3 player to take to the gym than there are indie rock nerds seeking an MP3 player that embeds All Music Guide reviews into their song files. If you can get past the numbers, however, there's incredible power to be won by creating an MP3 player taste makers prefer over the iPod. No one's done it yet, but as Apple's focus shifts to the iPhone and the playing field for music downloads is being leveled by DRM-free content, there's never been a better time to try something risky.

So please, MP3 player manufacturers of the world, make 2008 the year that you rethink your product strategy. Society has all the utility MP3 players it will ever need and the iPod retired its claim to hipness the moment they called themselves "Classic." There's some unexplored opportunities out there worth pursuing. You might not be able to convince big-box retailers to stock it, but you will have made the world a better, more interesting place to live.

If you have an opinion on why I'll never see a stoner MP3 player or if you have a fantasy MP3 player of your own, sound off in the comments section.

Here's The Media Assasin's Take On Rising Down

The Roots Bury the Leader
Rising Down's nuanced dystopia threatens to overwhelm the guy at its center
by Harry Allen
April 29th, 2008 12:00 AM

The first couple of times I listened to Rising Down, the Roots' ninth (!) album, I couldn't stop wondering if this was actually their last contractual release for Def Jam. There's a longstanding tradition of artists using albums to douse legal obligations, tossing them together from the odds 'n' ends they have lying around. Remember everything Prince was putting out right before unshackling himself from Warner Bros.? Even Marvin Gaye once paid alimony with the proceeds from a confusing work he bitingly titled Here, My Dear, though today many consider it one of his most probing and poignant recordings. I was kind of seeing Rising Down that way—sort of a big, directionless mess—until I did something really simple: I put on headphones. I just wanted to hear it a bit more intimately. It made all the difference.

What became blatant were the nuances of the Roots' dystopia; the rather painterly way they use sound, in the compositional modes that hip-hop affords, to render a world not only under duress, but, in fact, permanently diseased: Dhalgren on wax. There's no If we all just hold on moment here. That's not surprising, with Rising Down coming from native sons of the nation's most violent large city, Philadelphia, ironically the Greek word for "brotherly love."

"Get Busy," the first single, burns like the bombing of MOVE headquarters, mating a weighty kick-and-snare to a morbid chorus of fuzzy synth drones. "My squad half-Mandrill, half-Mandela," rapper Black Thought intones. "My band 'bout 70 strong, just like Fela." Coupled with guest lyrical maestros Dice Raw ("I'm half-dead/Never felt more alive"; "I'm kinda W.E.B. DuBois meets Heavy D & the Boyz") and the reedy Peedi Crack, the whole fest bristles with the nervous energy of riot control on dust. "Criminal" blends weightless guitar chords into an unending, sun-dappled tapestry, while an aching, ethereal vocal, sung by Kevin Hanson, winds the chorus—"Monday they predict the storm/Tuesday they predict the bang/Wednesday they cover the crash"—round and round your brain like your memory of that girl you spent a weekend with in some wooded place, and that you still can't forget.

In fact, what's really obvious from the album, if it wasn't already, is the degree to which the Roots express the personal vision of Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, the band's meticulous drummer and de facto leader. The production style displays unique shadings and shifts in sound, suggesting an attention to sonic detail emblematic of a drummer with the deep musical (especially jazz-related) knowledge that ?uestlove owns.

But this may also sustain the most oft-heard complaint against the Roots: the seeming inability of their lead vocalist, Black Thought, to unfailingly deliver "hip-hop quotables": sweet, mind-curving, track-rewind-compelling couplets that Dice Raw provides here. Is zealous love for the track submerging the band's vocalist? When producing Public Enemy, Hank Shocklee swore by the importance of putting the rapper front and center in the mix, of not burying him. "Rap is a contact sport," he'd say. Doing otherwise is like running a defense while running away—choosing fight and flight. And as the title of this album affirms, you can't have it both ways.

The Roots play Radio City Music Hall May 9 with Erykah Badu

Saturday, May 3, 2008

?uestlove & Black Thought on their new release and a live performance.



Live In Sirius Satellite Radio Studios on 4/28/08

Tracklisting:

01 Jam Boyz (Featuring Dice Raw)
02 I Will Not Apologize
03 Star
04 Long Time
05 R.I.P. Jay Dee
06 Proceed
07 Get Busy (Featuring Dice Raw)
08 Like A Pimp (Featuring David Banner)
09 Rising Up
10 75 Bars
11 Rising Up (Featuring Chrisette Michele & Wale) [Live On Letterman]

Rising Down

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Unbelievable - A Tribute To Biggie Smalls



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Intro
Blow (Featuring The Clipse)
Gimme The Loot 2007 (Featuring Ray Cash)
On Top (Featuring The Game & Darien Brockington)
Brooklyn (Featuring AZ)
Motherf*ckers (Featuring Grand Agent & Liv L' Raynge)
Let The Games Begin (Featuring Big L)
Live For The Funk
Interlude
Get Money [Live] (Featuring Jay-Z)
Kicks Open Doors (Featuring Kanye West)
All Day Every Day (Featuring Jadakiss)
Still Mad [Interlude]
Only One Thing (Featuring Lil Kim)
Young G's 2007 (Featuring Young Chris)
Interlude
The Commission (Featuring Jay-Z)
Live at the BBQ (Featuring Black Rob & Ness)
Party and Bullsht [Live] (Featuring 2 Pac)
Never Been (Featuring Lloyd Banks)
It Ain't Hard (Featuring Nas)
Interlude
The East Coast Overdoser (Featuring Ab)
Escape From NY (Featuring Prodigy)
Lyricist Lounge Freestyle
If You See Me (Featuring Lil Wayne)
Let It Go
Last Dayz 2007 (Featuring Mobb Deep)
Outro

*DJ Clue Voice* New Coldplay!

Coldplay Freebie Draws Healthy Crowds, Healthy Listens

Not only do people like free stuff, they are mostly accustomed to it when it comes to online music. Recognizing that expectation, Coldplay started offering their latest single, "Violet Hill," for free from their website starting Tuesday.

The result was a surge of traffic to coldplay.com, and a few technical snafus along the way. The band has not disclosed specific download tallies, and the numbers are undoubtedly ticking upward. But Last.fm was more than willing to share initial data.

According to the CBS-owned destination, the track was listened to more than 10,000 times within the first five hours of availability. "That's one play every two seconds," calculated Last.fm member Christian Ward. The group also pointed to a strong performance from "15 Step," the Radiohead track from In Rainbows that drew 22,000 listens in 12 hours.

The Coldplay download shifts into a paid mode starting May 6th, and the larger album hits retailers in mid-June.

I need his new mixtape, ASAP!



Skyzoo - Corner Store Classic



Click Here To Download Mixtape



Cop His Album!

Busta Rhymes & J Dilla - Dillagence