Torae - Black Christmas FreEP

The Notorious B.I.G. & Cookin' Soul - Ready For Xmas Mixtape

More Music From The Alchemist & Action Bronson

Remember last month when Action Bronson & The Alchemist came together for Rare Chandeliers?  Well, it turns out that they had a few extra tracks and decided to release an extended version of the project.  These are definitely not throw away tracks.  I'm surprised they didn't make the original release.

Truck North - Our American Cousin Mixtape

All I can say is, Truck North has a great ear for beats.  I haven't heard a lot of talk about this release, but it's definitely one of the best releases that I have heard in 2012.  It might only be 8 songs long, but he worked those 8 songs like a job.

Marsha Ambrosius - Hors D'Oeuvres Mixtape

Millennium Jazz Presents Monky Business: Thelonious Monk Reinterpreted

Millennium Jazz and their roster of producers known as The Jazz Jousters have come together again to rework & re-imagine the music of the legendary Thelonious Monk. The Jousters used Monk’s rendition of ‘You Are Too Beautiful’ as their canvas.

Dart Adams On Rap Radar, Hot 97 & Hip-Hop Opportunism

I'm a big fan of Peter Rosenberg.  I don't listen to his radio show much, but I do catch his podcast whenever he has a guest of interest.  So a few days ago I came across a discussion between Rosenberg and his program director.  The program director was feeling rather self-important that day, seeing as Sean Price has done a lot more for Hip-Hop than he ever has.  But anyway, I'm getting sidetracked.  That video led me to this article by one of my favorite follows on Twitter, Dart Adams aka Bastard Swordsman.  It's a bit of a long read, but it's a good one.

Bastard Swordsman, Execution Of A Chump © Gang Starr

Back on December 5th, I was on Twitter and I saw a tweet from Brian “B.Dot” Miller of Rap Radar run across my timeline via an RT that seemed extremely hypocritical to me so I decided to add my two cents to it and RT it myself. It ended up looking like this:

The Li'l Depressed Boy & Me

It all started on Comixology, that’s where I found the first issue of The Li’l Depressed Boy for free.  Being a fan of Image Comics as a company I took a look at a few panels of the book and like what I saw in regards to the art and downloaded it to check out later since I didn’t know how long it would be available for free.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months before I finally took the time to read the ONE issue that I downloaded and it blew me away.  Although the book was great, it didn’t blow me away purely due to it’s quality, it was how close the story hit to home.  The first few panels alone were scary in how much it mirrored my time in college.  I’m not saying that my experience was incredibly unique, but I literally felt like someone had discovered a long lost journal of mine.

How Sean Price Stole Christmas (Music Video)

Meyhem Lauren - Mandatory Brunch Meetings Mixtape

Time For A Change

I’m not making any drastic changes to the blog.  Nothing that you are used to seeing will be going away.  I’m still going to be posting things that I love and wish for you to as well regarding music, podcasts, comics and anything else that crosses my mind.

I have just decided that I will try and share my thoughts a little more often than I have in the past.  When I first started this blog I wanted to keep my thoughts and opinions to a minimum because I find that my opinions are often seen as unusual or even unpopular and I feared scaring away visitors, but at this point I’ve decided that I really shouldn't worry about that and I should focus on finding out if there are others out there that feel similar about certain topics or if others feel differently, why?

It’s a very small change, but a change nonetheless.

Thanks for stopping by,

8

The Kid Daytona - Lost Luggage FreEP

Have you ever copped an album and just get stuck on one song before you can get to the rest of the project?  That's what happened to me.  I think I had Ice Man on repeat for a minute.

Peter Rosenberg Interviews Action Bronson

Action Bronson & The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers

Action Bronson & The Alchemist - Rare Chandeliers Mixtape

Action Bronson is one of my favorite new artists and The Alchemist is one of my favorite producers. This can only turn out beautifully.  You're welcome in advance!

Mick Boogie - Brooklyn Originals Mixtape

Johnny North - 8BitBounce EP

Grand Theft Auto Retrospective: Part 2

GameTrailers continues with their look at the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Ads Can Be Good For You

The earbuds I use for for my daily commute were originally for my 80 gig Zune.  Yes, I know.  Insert your Zune joke here.  They were, and still are, really great.  They have quality sound with a customizable fit for my ears.  The earbuds are still in fine working order, but the cord itself is frayed so I began to Google earbuds because I can't imagine a day without my podcasts or music.

Grand Theft Auto Retrospective: Part I

GameTrailers takes a look at the humble beginnings of the juggernaut that has become the Grand Theft Auto series.

Happy Birthday Bob Ross!

Google is always does great things with their home page!

Google's Newest #Android App: Field Trip

Field Trip is your guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you. Field Trip runs in the background on your phone. When you get close to something interesting, it pops up a card with details about the location. No click is required. If you have a headset or bluetooth connected, it can even read the info to you.

The Kid Daytona - Fly Away (Music Video)

Looks like Daytona took a trip to Europe for his latest music video off of his Summer Games release.

Movie Trailer: Ken Burns' The Central Park Five

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned.

Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, The Central Park Five will tell the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice. - Florentine Films

GameTrailers Reviews NBA 2K13

With Jay-Z as executive producer, the question becomes, does he have more than 1/15 of 1% impact on the look and feel of the latest iteration of the NBA 2K series?

Relive Jay-Z's Final Barclays Center Concert

I can save my money and watch Jay-Z perform from the comfort of my couch?

Word To Langston: The Making Of Skyzoo's A Dream Deferred

Vibe TV and Vibe Magazine present an exclusive behind the scenes look at the making of Skyzoo's sophomore album "A Dream Deferred". Studio sessions, show footage, and a one on one interview detailing the album's creative process all add to putting you right in the room as the work was being done.

Internets Celebrities Breakdown Cuffing Season

Dallas Penn & Rafi Kam are back!  It's been way too long since I have last seen a video from these guys.

Mikkey Halsted - MMM Season Mixtape

Click Here To Download

or

Here

9th Wonder & Buckshot AND 9th Wonder & Murs!!!

I'm definitely more than a little excited for this.

Sugar Tongue Slim - GOLD RUSH II Mixtape

The Kid Daytona & Jadakiss - Low (Music Video)

Low is featured on Summer Games: The Kid With The Golden Pen

Freddie Gibbs - #BFK Baby Face Killa Mixtape

Jay Smooth & Brother Ali On Writer's Block

Skyzoo Previews A Dream Deferred Album

I will actually be copping the physical CD when this drops.  I can't wait.  You can pre-order it now.


Thanks for stopping by,

8

Nerdgasm: Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector's Set

If I had the money I would be all over this.  It's basically my childhood in one big box.

Stream Brother Ali's Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color

Preview the newest release from one of the most powerful voices in music with Brother Ali's Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color.  You can stream the entire album and learn more about each song below.

Tito Fiasco - Geek Of Beats Vol. 1

Nikki Lynette On Chief Keef & Violence In Chicago

What nobody wants you to know about the violence in Chicago

By Nikki Lynette

I have been in New York on business for the past couple weeks. Every time someone finds out I'm from Chicago, the reply is always something like "Yo... Chicago is going crazy right now." Then they quote something to me about the latest death toll in my hometown. Honestly, I don't wanna hear that shit. I grew up around gang violence and poverty. It wasn't until I witnessed a murder/suicide in the apartment across the hall from me that I decided to save up money and leave the hood for good.

One of my friends who runs a prominent hip hop blog here in New York asked me why Chicago is so much worse this year and why our city is so bad that people like Cheif Keef were able to build a buzz by "talking that little kid street shit." I looked him in his eyes and said "Because people like you publicize it. You helped make Cheif Keef a star. People in Chicago finally get to see someone from the block getting fame, and it just so happens the rappers from Chicago who y'all choose to acknowledge are on some goon shit. So don't talk to me about the violence in my city. You contributed."

Colin Munroe - Unsung Hero Mixtape

This mixtape isn't to be confused with Colin Munroe Is The Unsung Hero, which he released back in 2008.  This is all new music.

Talib Kweli & Z-Trip - Attack The Block Mixtape

I don't know if anyone else had encoding/metadata problems with the files for this, but I did.  I had to download an encoder to fix this.  Apparently it's a Windows 7 issue, but both of these links are good to go.  Streaming available below as well.

The Kid Daytona Breaks Down "Summer Games" Mixtape

Summer Games: The Kid With The Golden Pen

Hulu Is Looking Brand New

I hadn't been on Hulu in a good minute so I figured it would be a nice time to clean up my queue.  Movie trailers can really clog that bad boy up, but I digress.  Anyway, I've always liked the site's layout, but it appears even cleaner, now.  Check it out:

NatesVlogs + Comic Books = Hilarity

Nate isn't the only one to question Batman & Robin's relationship.

Mikkey Halsted - Pain (Music Video)

Pain is featured on Mikkey Halsted's Castro Mixtape.

Celebrate 25 Years Of Street Fighter With Ryu

I can't believe it's been 25 years!  Damn, I'm old!  *sigh*  Anyway, Capcom put together a short Ryu retrospective showing the evolution of the character as a way of celebrating this milestone.

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes Trailer & Gameplay Footage

According to Kotaku, Metal Gear creator, Hideo Kojima stated that Ground Zeroes is an introduction to Metal Gear Solid 5.

The original Snake, also known as Big Boss, is back: and he's the star this time, like he was in Metal Gear Solid 3 and several other games in the series. He can use a helicopter to fly around the world, going between countries and taking on missions.

We're also introduced to a suited figure that appears to be one of the game's villains. The character wears a black, flat-brimmed hat, his face burnt and disfigured. He appears to be part of a group called XOF—FOX backwards—and he calls his squad of soldiers "an army without a nation."

The Story Behind Superman vs. Muhammad Ali

Artist Neal Adams sits down to discuss his iconic work on the Superman vs. Muhammad Ali comic.

Game Trailers Reviews Madden NFL 13

The 2012 outing was riddled with gameplay quirks and featured few additions, so it should be easy for Madden NFL 13 to make a strong impression.

DJ Jazzy Jeff's Life Colors Mix

Presented by LRG and Complex Magazine, Life Colors from legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff is a sonic representation that thinking differently and aiming to change the status quo is something that never goes out of style. Harnessed over 40 tracks that spans both the old and new – including tracks from the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Santigold, Slum Village, J Cole, The Pharcyde and many more

Web Series To Watch: Black & Sexy TV's The Number

When it comes to portrayals of Blacks on television and in movies great images are harder and harder to find, especially when it comes to Black men.  So, I'm always looking for quality entertainment and with it's stories, acting & production, writer/director Dennis Dortch's Black & Sexy TV provides just what I’ve been looking for.

As a fan of Issa Rae's Awkward Black Girl web series, I happened to stumble upon Dortch's series, The Number in which we take a look at the relationship of Jason & Melissa, played by Chasen Allen & Jessica Shelby. Jason is coming to terms with a fiancé's apparently far more extensive sexual history than his own.

Slaughterhouse & Eminem - Asylum (Arkham Asylum Edition)

Dallas Penn often does great music videos to some of your favorite under-appreciated songs with the help of awesome comic book & cartoon action figures, like Roc Marciano's Snow Remix.  This mash-up of Slaughterhouse's Asylym and Arkham Asylym, though . . . dude.  DUDE!

Beedie - Robert Marley (Music Video)

Robert Marley is featured on Beedie's latest release, Above The Weather.

The Kid Daytona - Summer Games: The Kid With The Golden Pen

Life As Gentleman Shouldn't Be So Rough

Beedie - Above The Weather FreeP

Skyzoo - A Dream Deferred: Cover Art & Track Listing

I can't wait for this to drop. Also check out Skyzoo talking about his writing process below.

Jay Smooth - Can Ghostwriters Keep It Real?

One of the most knowledgeable people on on this series of tubes that we call the internet, Jay Smooth, chimes in on last week's rumors of Jay Electronica & stic.man of Dead Prez ghostwriting for Nas.

Jasmine Solano - RAP FreeP

Jesse Thorn Interviews Black Dynamite's Michael Jai White & Carl Jones

Jessie Thorn of Bullseye talks to the duo behind Black Dynamite: The Animated Series, about their favorite Blaxploitation movies and how they influenced the movie.  They also give a little background on the Richard Pryor episode, "Get Him To The Sunset Strip".