Rap Attack's Mr. Magic dies

John Rivas, better known as New York disc jockey Mr. Magic died of a heart attack earlier Friday. He was an inspirational figure in hip-hop music as he co-founded WBLS-FM's "Rap Attack" show in 1983, which hit the airwaves officially in 1989. His six year span on the show helped give the music more validity as a genre. In its prime years it featured Marley Marl as the DJ and Tyrone "Fly Ty" Williams as the show's co-producer. Mr. Magic also was part of a battle in the mid-80's against fellow radio disc jockey for another station named Kool DJ Red Alert. The Juice Crew headed by Marley Marl figured into this feud as well. When it comes to hip-hop pioneers you're not likely to hear people immediately mention "Mr. Magic", but in fact he is one of the rap pioneers who brought the music genre to the mainstream. He's been name dropped by Notorious BIG as an early inspiration- "Every Saturday - Rap Attack - Mr. Magic Marley Marl" on the hit song Juicy. Other rappers to mention him include Whodini, Tupac Shakur and Nas on various songs. He released a few albums including greatest hits from the Rap Attack show. Mr. Magic was also featured in the hit video game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" as one of the disc jockeys on a radio station. His radio show is also heard during a scene in the movie "Notorious" about BIG's life story. Various searches seem to turn up little information on Rivas' birthdate, so his age at death is not yet posted. RIP to John "Mr. Magic" Rivas, an early influence in hip hop....

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 1

Well into their forties hip-hop/alternative band The Beastie Boys (Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D) aren't done making music quite yet. They're about to release their eight studio album with an upcoming record called "Hot Sauce Committee Part 1", scheduled for release on September 15th, 2009. The track "Too Many Rappers" was recently debuted which features Nas as a guest emceee. Check it out on the YouTube still video below. Also on the album will be relatively new sensation, Santigold. The Beasties will also be releasing some reissues including 1998's Hello Nasty as a two-CD or vinyl box set. The last album we heard from the trio came in 2007 but was only instrumental form on "The Mix-Up". 2004 provided their last full album with rapping on it, "To the 5 Boroughs" so this new one will be a much-welcomed treat for fans. Check out the full track listing below, as well as Smoking Section's interview with The Beastie Boys. Track listing for Hot Sauce Committee Part 1: 01. "Tadlock's Glasses" 02. "B-Boys In The Cut" 03. "Make Some Noise" 04. "Nonstop Disco Powerpack" 05. "OK" 06. "Too Many Rappers" (featuring Nas) 07. "Say It" 08. "The Bill Harper Collection" 09. "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" (featuring Santigold) 10. "Long Burn The Fire" 11. "Bundt Cake" 12. "Funky Donkey" 13. "Lee Majors Come Again" 14. "Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament" 15. "Pop Your Balloon" 16. "Crazy A** S***" 17. "Here's A Little Something For Ya" Hard to believe these guys are still going. It will definitely make the connoisseurs of their decades ago "Licensed to Ill" product feel old...

Album Review: The Renaissance by Q-Tip

In November 2006 rapper Nas released the track heard round the world, when he boldly declared "Hip Hop is Dead". This caused all sorts of controversy and response from other rappers feeling they were keeping it alive. The Nas song made a strong case though; much of what's given to hip-hop fans these days is simply dance themes and ringtone singles which are catchy one-hit wonder material. That watered down formula never has much staying power, and its what makes albums full of true lyrical innovation worth so much more. Case in point, Q-Tip's The Renaissance which comes nearly 2 years after Nas made his statement track to declare hip hop deceased. The Renaissance typically refers to history and a revival of the times. On The Renaissance album the frontman from the legendary A Tribe Called Quest brings forth another solo effort which is pleasing audibly from start to finish. In this effort, Tip is returning to the mic for a full studio album 9 years after his debut solo. Tip's always been considered a lyrical purist and genius since his days in Tribe, and he brings more of that style his fans love here. The beats are reminicesent of Tribe's works as well and it's hard to find much wrong with this offering compared to the rest of today's rap genre. Standout tracks are easily the feel-good and mellow "Gettin Up", an ode Q-Tip raps to his lover. The classic Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine" is sampled for the upbeat and catchy "Move" which borrows a "Here we go" chant from the classic "The Choice is Yours" by Black Sheep. As Move ends it blends into a hidden bonus track "The Renaissance", equally poignant and catchy. "Dance on Glass" features a minute of pure acapella lyrics and then a beat to accompany them. "Won't Trade" features clever voice overs from news reports of trade rumors in New York as well as a soulful sampled chorus over the bouncy melody. Tip also chose his guest stars sparingly, using Norah Jones, Rafael Saadiq and D'Angelo to punctuate his flow. No other rappers appear on the tracks and that's just fine as Tip holds his own here. At times fans of ATCQ may long for a reunion though, but even without his bandmates this is surely a pleasing release. Another feature of the album which generally works well for classic material: more music, less filler. On this album skits are non-existant and the music rolls on making it an album that will stay in rotation in many car stereos, ipods and mp3 players. With The Renaissance Q-Tip arguably brings the #1 rap release of the year, ranking right up there with Lil Wayne's highly-anticipated & well-received "Tha Carter III". It's one of those feel good rap albums, a return to what hip-hop's always been about in its truest form. All that's really missing here is Tip's band members Fife and Ali, but at this point true hip hop fans won't complain about what Q-Tip brings to rap music on his own. Tracklist: The Renaissance by Q-Tip 1. "Johnny Is Dead" 3:02 2. "Won't Trade" 2:41 3. "Gettin' Up" 3:18 4. "Official" 3:19 5. "You" 3:02 6. "We Fight/We Love" (feat. Raphael Saadiq) 4:47 7. "Manwomanboogie" (feat. Amanda Diva) 3:06 8. "Move" 5:49 9. "Dance on Glass" 3:02 10. "Life Is Better" (feat. Norah Jones) 4:41 11. "Believe" (feat. D'Angelo) 2:57 12. "Shaka" 3:33 13. "Feva (UK & Circuit City Bonus)" 3:48 Download The Renaissance MP3 Album at Amazon.com. Rap Music Lyrics - Gettin' Up by Q-Tip

2009 Grammy Nominees Announced

Wednesday night saw a special Grammy Nominations Concert held on CBS. During the show in Los Angeles several of the nominees for the 51st Grammy Awards scheduled for February 2009 were announced. The show also featured performances by Mariah Carey, the Foo Fighters, BB King and Celine Dion, and had Taylor Swift and LL Cool J as the hosts. Here's a look at several of the nominees for the 51st annual Grammy Awards.... 2009 Grammy Nominees Best New Artist (presented by Ne-Yo): - Adele - Duffy - Jonas Brothers - Lady Antebellum - Jazmine Sullivan Album of the Year (presented by Celine Dion): - Viva la Vida by Coldplay - The Carter III - Lil' Wayne - Year of the Gentleman - NeYo - Raise the Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - In Rainbow - Radiohead During the "Best Rap Performance by a duo or group" intro, it was discussed how rap has been honored since the Grammy show in 1991, and now artists of many other genres perform together with rappers. This wasn't the case in the award category this year, as it was rappers featuring rappers. Taylor Swift presented the nominees which included Jay-Z, Young Jeezy & Lil' Wayne. Best Rap Performance by Duo or Group: - Royal Flush - Big Boi feat. Raekwon & Andre 3000 - Swagga Like Us - Jay-Z & TI feat. Lil' Wayne & Kanye West - Mr. Carter - Lil' Wayne feat. Jay-Z - Wish You Would - Ludacris feat. TI - Put On - Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West Record of the Year (presented by John Mayer): - Chasing Pavements - Adele - Viva La Vida - Coldplay - Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis - Paper Planes - MIA - Please Read the Letter - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Mariah Carey opened the show with one of her classic songs from her past Christmas album. The show also culminated with a classic duet performed by BB King and John Mayer for "Let the Good Times Roll". Also announced during the show was the news that a new Grammy museum will be opening later this week. While not every category was announced on air, most likely due to some of the titles in thebest rapp solo performance category, here's a look at what else is up for an award... Best Rap Solo Performance - Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)... Jay-Z - A Milli Lil Wayne - Paris, Tokyo Lupe Fiasco - N.i.*.*.e.r. (The Slave And The Master) Nas - Sexual Eruption Snoop Dogg Best Rap Song: - Lollipop (Lil' Wayne) - Low (Flo Rida feat. T-Pain) - Superstar (Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos) - Sexual Eruption (Snoop Dogg) - Swagga Like Us (Jay & TI feat. Lil' Wayne & Kanye West) Best Rap Album: Best Rap Album: American Gangster Jay-Z Tha Carter III Lil Wayne The Cool Lupe Fiasco Nas Nas Paper Trail T.I. Lil Wayne may be cleaning up the awards this year, but it'll be interesting to see which album wins best rap album. Both The Carter III and Jay-Z's American Gangster have been given critical acclaim and are considered recent classics material. In terms of top nominee, Lil' Wayne took 8 nominations for his work this past year from The Carter III. Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West each earned six nominations. View all of the 2009 Grammy nominees here. The 51st Grammy Award Show will be held February 8th, 2009 on CBS.

Jay-Z Taking his Time with Blueprint 3

For the third installment in Jay-Z's Blueprint album trilogy, Jigga's made it clear he's taking his time to create a product he and the world can be proud of. According to transworldnews.com: The Blueprint 3, Jay-Z's third studio album since ending his retirement in 2004, was scheduled for a December 2 release date. However, the album's only single "Jockin' Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh)," which was released two months ago, has yet to have a video and there has been little news about the album since. The only confirmed information about the album is that Kanye West will be heavily involved with the project's production. There were many rumors that West would be the album's sole producer. However, there have been subsequent reports that Pharrell and possibly Timbaland will also be featured on the album's production. The Blueprint album is set to feature the original T.I./Jay-Z/Kanye West/Lil Wayne track "Swagga Like Us", as well as a remixed version featuring Nas, Andre 3000, Young Jeezy and Jay-Z. Most production for the new album will come from Rocafella alum Kanye West. The album also marks Jay-Z's final album under Def Jam contract, before he moves to recording for Roc Nation under the new Live Nation record label. Other noteworthy records coming soon are Kanye West's "808's & Heartbreak" and Ludacris' "Theater of the Mind" on November 25th. 50 Cent plans to release "...Before I Self Destruct" on December 9th, and there's rumors of a new Eminem album called "Relapse" possibly for December 23.

Rap Music Lyrics - Sly Fox by Nas

First he declared war on Jay-Z...after they united, he declared hip hop was dead...now he's declared war on the media. On his latest Untitled album, Nas is on an all-out rampage spewing forth all sorts of commentary on social, political and racial issues. One of the strongest tracks on the album, entitled Sly Fox dismantles the Fox News network and everything connected to it. Nas puts his own spin on it, complete with conspiracy theories, references to Myspace and YouTube, Bill O'Reilly and even GI Joe's "Dr. Mindbender". Here's a look at the classic lyrics for Nas' new track Sly Fox Sly Fox by Nas from Untitled album Nas Verse 1: The sly fox Cyclops We locked In the idiot box The video slots Broadcast The Waco Davidian plots They own YouTube, Myspace When this ignorant s--t gon' stop? They monopolizing news Your views And the channel you choose Propaganda Visual cancer The eye In the sky Number five On the dial secret agenda Frequency antenna Doctor Mindbender Remote control soul Controller Your brain holder Slave culture Game's over What's a Fox characteristic? Slick s--t Sensin' Misinformation Pimp the station Over stimulation Reception Deception Comcast digital Satan The Fox has a bushy tail And Bush tells Lies and Foxtrots So I don't know what's real CHORUS Watch what you watchin' Fox keeps feeding us toxins Stop sleepin Start thinkin Outside of the box and Unplug from The Matrix doctrine But watch what you say Big Brother is watchin' Watch what you watchin' Fox keeps feeding us toxins Stop sleepin Start thinkin Outside of the box and Unplug from The Matrix doctrine But watch what you say Fox 5 is watchin' Nas Verse 2: The Fear Factor got you all rattled up O' Reilly Oh really? No rally needed I'll tie you up Network for child predators, settin' 'em up Myspace pimps hoes and sluts Ya'll exploit rap culture, then ya'll flip on us And you own the post, and ya'll s--t on us What is they net worth? They gon' try to censor my next verse? Throw 'em off the roof neck first While I'm clicking my cursor Reading blogs about the pressure they put on Universal It gets worse while I'm clicking my mouse While they kickin' my house They figured us out Why a nigga go south It's either he caught a body, no sleep they watchin'! I watch CBS And I See B.S.! Tryin' to track us down with GPS Make a n---a wanna invest in PBS CHORUS: Watch what you watchin' Fox keeps feeding us toxins Stop sleepin Start thinkin Outside of the box and Unplug from The Matrix doctrine But watch what you say Big Brother is watchin' Watch what you watchin' Fox keeps feeding us toxins Stop sleepin Start thinkin Outside of the box and Unplug from The Matrix doctrine But watch what you say Fox 5 is watchin' Nas Verse 3: They say I'm all about murder-murder and kill-kill But what about Grindhouse and Kill Bill? What about Cheney and Halliburton? (Halliburton?) The backdoor deals On oil fields How's NaS the most violent person? Ya'll don't know talent if it hit you Bringin' up my criminal possession charges with a pistol (pistol) I use Viacom As my firearm And let the lyrics split you Who do you rely upon? They shoot shells at Leviathan I'm dealing with the higher form F--k if you care how I write a poem? Only Fox that I love was the red one Only black man that Fox loves is in jail or a dead one! Red rum Political bedlam Don't let the hype into your eyes and ear drum Murdoch on Fox Not A-Team with Barracas And he hate Barack cause He marched with the marchers OUTRO: I pledge allegiance to the fair and balanced truth. Not the biased truth Not the liar's truth But the highest truth I will not be deceived nor will I believe In the Propaganda I will not fall for the Okey Doke I am tuned in Watch, cause they're watchin Watch what you're watchin Better watch, cause they're watchin Watch what you're watchin M-M-Media Misleadin ya Watch what you're watchin... Download Sly Fox by Nas MP3 at Amazon.com! Get a copy of the Untitled Album by Nas at Amazon.com! Download Nas ringtones at Funtonia.com!

The 2008 Rock the Bells Tour

This year's summer concerts in hip hop not only include Kanye West's Glow in the Dark tour and the Jay-Z/Mary J Blige "Heart of the City" tour, but also the star-studded "2008 Rock the Bells" tour. The concerts had a great turnout last year in New York and Cali locations. This year's concert lineup includes everyone from hip hop pioneer Rakim to Native Tongue groups De La Soul and Tribe called Quest, as well as newer acts like Nas, Redman and Wu-Tang members. Here's more about the concert from the official website: GUERILLA UNION TEAMS WITH MYSPACE TO ANNOUNCE PERFORMERS AND ROUTING OF THE LEADING HIP-HOP FESTIVAL SERIES TODAY AT ALL-STAR PRESS CONFERENCE AND SECRET SHOW 2008 ROCK THE BELLS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL SERIES POWERED BY SANDISK LINE-UP RELEASED HEADLINERS INCLUDE A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, NAS, MOS DEF, DE LA SOUL, RAKIM AND REUNITED SPECIAL GUESTS THE PHARCYDE WITH ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES BY SPANK ROCK, SANTOGOLD, KID SISTER, JAY ELECTRONICA AND MANY MORE! Featuring performances by A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, Rakim, Method Man & Redman, Raekwon & Ghostface (Cuban Linx), Immortal Technique, Dead Prez, Murs and Kidz In The Hall, the ROCK THE BELLS 2008 INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL SERIES POWERED BY SANDISK once again is marked by the leading hip-hop line-up seen on one bill this year. This year will be highlighted with an unexpected reunion of The Pharcyde. But it does not stop there, as fans will also see performances by the brightest names in the emerging electro-hip hop scene including Spank Rock, Santogold, Kid Sister, Wale, Flosstradamus, Jay Electronica and The Cool Kids with hosts B-Real of Cypress Hill and the world renowned Supernatural. This concert is well worth the price of admission with all of the acts you'll get to see. Tickets went on sale for Denver and Los Angeles as of May 10th, with more to come. Los Angeles Tickets Denver tickets Rock the Bells official website You can also read an LA Times Preview from 2/22/08 here.

XXL Magazine's 100th Cover

Nasty Nas aka Escobar aka Nasir Jones graces the March 2008 100th cover of XXL magazine as seen above. Inside Nas gives a candid interview to the magazine. One topic discussed is the controversial new "N" album title Nas will be releasing. He discusses the feud he had with Jay-Z and now working with him on the same label and records. Nas also discusses subjects like Don Imus, Oprah and rap haters/censors. The 100th issue of XXL is currently available on newsstands everywhere.

Rap Music Lyrics - One Love by Nas

Here's the rap music lyrics for the hit Nas song, One Love. The song is rapped as a written letter by Nas from inside a prison to his friend on the outside, detailing his troubles. One Love is found on Nas' classic debut album, Illmatic and features a chorus by Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest. One Love by Nas (Illmatic) Verse One: what up kid? i know s--t is rough doing your bid when the cops came you shoulda slid to my crib but f--k it black, no time for looking back it's done plus congratulations you know you got a son i heard he looks like you, why don't your lady write you? told her she should visit, that's when she got hyper flippin, talk about he acts too rough he didn't listen he be riffin' while i'm telling him stuff i was like yeah, shorty don't care, she a snake too f-----g with the n----z from that fake crew that hate you but yo, guess who got shot in the dome-piece? jeromes niece, on her way home from jones beach, its bugged plus little rob is selling drugs on the dime hanging out with young thugs that all carry nines and night time is more trife than ever Whatup with Cormega, did you see 'em, are y'all together? if so then hold the fort down, represent to the fullest say whassup to herb, ice and bullet I left a half a hundred in your commisary You was my n---a when push came to shove One what? one love Chorus by Q-Tip Verse Two: dear born, you'll be out soon, stay strong out in new york the same s--t is going on the crack-heads stalking, loud-mouths is talking hold, check out the story yesterday when i was walking the n---a you shot last year tried to appear like he hurtin something word to mother, i heard him frontin' and he be pumpin' on your block your man gave him your glock and now they run together, what up son, whatever since i'm on the streets i'm a put it to a cease i heard you blew a n----a with he ask for the phone piece, wylin' on the island, but now in Elmira better chill 'cos them n----z will put that a-- on fire last time you wrote you said they tried you in the showers but maintain when you come home the corner's ours on the reals, all these crab n----z know the deal when we start the revolution all they probably do is squeal but chill, see you on the next v i i gave your mom dukes loot for kicks plus sent ya flicks your brother's buck whylin' and four maine he wrote me he might beat his case, 'til he come home i play it low key so stay civilised, time flies though incarcerated your mind [dies] i hate it when your moms cries it kinda wants to make me murder, for real-a i've even got a mask and gloves to bust slugs for one love Verse Three: sometimes i sit back with a budda sack mind's in another world thinking how can we exist through the facts written in school text books, bibles, etcetera f--- a school lecture, the lies get me vexed-a so i be ghost from my projects i take my pen and pad for the week and hittin' L's while i'm sleep' on a two day stay, you may say i need the time alone to relax my dome, no phone, left the 9 at home you see the streets have me stressed something terrible f-----g with the corners have a n---- up in belleview or h.d.m., hit with numbers from 8 to 10 a future in a maximum state pen is grim so i comes back home, nobody's out but shorty doowop rollIn two phillies together in the bridge- we call them oowops he said nas, n-----z cold be bustin' off the roof so i wear a bullet proof and pack a black tres-deuce he inhailed so deep, shut his eyes like he was sleep started coughing ONE EYE peeked to watch me speak i sat back like the mack, my army suit was black we was chillin' on these benches where he pumped his loose cracks i took the L when he passed it, this little bastard keeps me blasted he starts talking mad s--t i had to school him, told him don't let n----z fool him 'cos when the pistol blows [] the one that's murdered be the cool one tough luck when n----z are struck, families f----d up could've caught your man, but didn't look when you bucked up mistakes happen, so take heed never bust up in a crowd catch him solo, make the right man bleed shorty's laugh was cold blooded as he spoke so foul only twelve trying to tell me that he liked my style then i rose, wiping the b---ts ash from my clothes then froze only the blow the herb smoke through my nose and told my little man that i'm a go cyprose left some jewels in HIS skull that he can sell if he chose words of wisdom from nas try to rise up above keep an eye out for jake shorty wop one love Chorus by Q-Tip See more Rap music lyrics. Check out the hottest Hip Hop Honeys! Pick up Illmatic at Amazon.com!

Kanye's Grammy Graduation

Congrats go out to Kanye West for his recent Grammy nomination for Graduation as Album of the Year. West also leads in number of nominations this year with 8 total which include several song nominations form the album. Rap stars Jay-Z, Timbaland and T-Pain also received 5 nods for various awards at the show. The Beastie Boys received a couple nominations and not even for rapping. Their The Mix-Up instrumental album received a nomination as did a song from it. Here's a look at the always interesting, Best Rap Album category: Best Rap Album * Finding Forever Common [Geffen] * Kingdom Come Jay-Z [Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam Recordings] * Hip Hop Is Dead Nas [Def Jam/Columbia/The Jones Experience] * T.I. vs T.I.P. T.I. [Grand Hustle/Atlantic] * Graduation Kanye West [Roc-A-Fella Records] See the entire list of nominees here. The 50th annual Grammys show will be on TV Sunday Feb. 10th at 8 p.m. on CBS.

12 Great Gems from Nas

Nas recently released the token "Greatest Hits" album featuring 14 tracks total consisting of 2 bonus tracks ( the unreleased "Surviving the Times" and "Less than an Hour" from Rush Hour 3) as well as 12 of his all-time greatest tracks. Of course this always brings up the debate over what Nas songs are the best of all time. My personal iPod hosts about 100 or so Nas tracks. While it's tough to choose which are my all time 12 favorite Nas tracks, here's 12 gems (which won't include the ones on his new Greatest Hits). 1) Halftime - This track basically is the set it off jam that got Nas on the map. The halfway point of his debut album, "Illmatic" as well, it offers such clever lyrics as "when I attack there aint an army that can strike back, so i react never calmly on a hype track" and "with more kicks than a baby in her mother's stomach" on a uptempo beat. Classic. 2) Nas is Like - No clue why this DJ Premier aided track didn't find its way on the Greatest Hits tracklist. It's got one of the illest Nas beats of all time and Nas' usual top notch wordplay. The scratching by Primo is of course unmatched. 3) I Gave You Power - Nas raps as if he was a gun and it works well. One of the more creative and clever Nas joints there is. "How you like me now, I go Blow..it's that s--t that moves crowds, making every ghetto foul". 4) Ether - Only because it really served as the big response to Jay-Z's dis on Nas, this one should be amongst the 12. This song hit hard, but it probably didn't make sense to put this on a new album when he's pals with Jigga now, and on his tracks. "Now I keep my eyes on the Judas, with Hawaiin Sophie fame kept my name in his music". 5) No Idea's Original - This comes off the Lost Tapes where some of Nas' best tracks reside. This one speaks to the idea that every ideas been done before. It also has Old school references and history lessons spit fast by Nas over a classic recognizable rap beat. 6) Poison - One of the better tracks off Stillmatic, which The Source magazine has labeled as a classic album. This one talks about the Poisions of our lives, including ecstasy, coke, prescribed medication, AIDS, religion and just about anything in our society today. 7) Shootouts - Something about the beat here is just intoxicating, as Nas raps about "Shootouts" in the projects. It's a storytelling type track, and although many critics said this sophomore release album by Nas wasn't up to par, its very underrated. 8) Thugz Mansion - This acoustic version of the 2Pac classic, features of course a posthumous Tupac Shakur, as well as Nas. There's a few versions of this track. On this one Nas has 2 verses. "Im capable of anything, my imagination can give me wings", Nas raps over the acoustic guitar with no bassline or drums. Definitely included on an all-time favorite list, for the inclusion of two of rap's greatest. 9) Live at the BBQ - This has to be on the list. It comes from an Old School classic, the Main Source album "Breaking Atoms" which is tough to find these days. It features not only the debut of Nas here, but also Akineyle's debut and a rap from MC Serch. "Nasty Nas is a rebel to America", raps the young star-to-be, and these lyrics also were sampled on several of his tracks and other rappers' tracks. 10) The Message - the lead track on "It Was Written" featuring the classic Sting sample backing Nas' mega-hot verse. "there's 1 life 1 love so there can only be 1 king". Also features samples from #11 on the list here in the hook. 11) NY State of Mind - One of the grittiest raps and beats all about NYC, Nas' home. Another track off the classic "Illmatic", Nas takes you all through Queensbridge and his early days there. "I never sleep cuz sleep is the cousin of death" "I think of crime when I'm in a New York state mind" raps the rookie rapper on this classic. 12) Undying Love - Classic Nas storytelling off "I Am". Obviously not a true story, but the way it's unfolded for us complete with sound effects and shootout ending, make for a great Nas track. Many may disagree with this one, but the guitar driven beat is also intriguing making for another great Nas track.

Album Review: American Gangster by Jay-Z

American Gangster is the rap album of the year, hands down. A friend told me that it would be after he heard it streaming on Sirius satellite radio this past week. I argued with him because I didn't think AG could outdo "Graduation" by Kanye and "Finding Forever" by his fellow Chicago rapper, Common. Despite the giftedness of both rappers, Jay-Z simply outdoes both albums with this poetic musical journey. Yes, Hov is back! The album launches with dialogs from the movie "American Gangster" as Denzel drops quotes on beat, setting the tone for the rest of this work. From there it takes off running as the up tempo and musically addictive "Pray" starts and Jay blesses us with his incredible flurry of words. This is far above the caliber of the last release Jay gave us with "Kingdom Come". On "No Hook", Jay raps about the way his parents influenced his street mentality, how he didn't have much and needed to find a way to get his hustle on so he could become wealthy. Jay brings you the grittier visions of his past where his life was down in the "sewers". AG is classic material, a poetic work of beauty full of these gritty visuals over soulful 70's style tracks. Jigga's taking us back to the early gangsta days again, similar to "Reasonable Doubt", his classic solo debut. "Say Hello to the Bad Guy" is named after the classic Scarface line and in it Jay tells us exactly what he is and isn't about. "Roc Boys" is an up tempo jam featuring horns and a very captivating beat crafted by Diddy. The song features the feel-good chorus of "The Roc Boys in the building tonight..you don't even gotta bring your paper out, we the dope boys of the year, drinks is on the house". It's a celebratory theme song sure to rock parties and clubs. Jay doesn't ignore present times either, as he includes a few lines about Don Imus and "celebs showin' their kittens". "Hello Brooklyn" features a slowed down bass beat reminiscent of a Beastie Boys track and features Lil' Wayne offering his lyrical abilities to the track. Another standout is easily the dynamic duo track "Success" which features Jay and Nas together again, with Jigga discussing how he was "happier poor and now he's pissed off". Wayne, Beanie Sigel and Nas provide the only guest raps and the album doesn't suffer at all from their appearance, or the lack of more guests. Clocking in at just under 60 minutes, this is a musical journey well worth embarking on, as Jay takes you through the hustles, struggles and events of a true American Gangster. While it's not a soundtrack for the recent movie, it's definitely a soundtrack for Jay's life back in the day. Its 70's style beats underneath Jay-Z's gifted storytelling will certainly have you bobbin your head as he takes you down the path he traveled as a street hustler. Purchase "American Gangster" CD at Amazon, or purchase the "American Gangster [Explicit] MP3 album" download.

2 Dogs Walk into an Airport

It seems like a bit of a fizzle broke out on the way through the air pizzle. Rapper Snoop Dogg and his entourage were in the UK airport just trying to have a good time. Snoop was hamming it up with kids showing them dance moves, including the Crip walk. He also was chillin in a Toy Store with a future Scott Storch playing the toy Xylophone. For some reason there was some hatin going on at the departure Gate with a bunch of cops and a lot of pushing. Last thing you want to do is rile up a Dogg. Check out the TMZ video of all the fun here. Speaking of Dogs, that other Dog, the Bounty Hunter Duane Chapman made a return trip to the Los Angeles airport as seen here. This dog was a bit more quiet and reserved at the airport, as he's dealing with the controversy of his use of the "N" word in a taped conversation with his son, Tucker. His Bounty Hunter show has been yanked off the air on A&E. Duane Chapman will appear on Larry King Live this Wednesday on CNN. Speaking of the N word, Nas has named his controversial new album that, and MTV.com decided to take a historic look at past rap albums with the N word.

Nas Chooses Controversial Title

Nas is definitely one of the all-time greats in rap music. However he's been admist controversy because he was selected to appear at a Virginia Tech benefit concert that Dave Matthews set up. The beef came from Bill O'Reilly and other talk shows about how Nas raps about gun use on his albums, and that is at the very core of the VA Tech tragedy. Now Nas is at it again, as he wants to go all out in controversy with the title to his latest album. From Billboard.com: "Nas has a new album on the way before the end of the year, and its name is sure to be a conversation starter. During an Oct. 12 concert at New York's Roseland Ballroom, the rapper told the crowd the album would be called "N*gga." Def Jam had no comment on the title at deadline. The set will be the follow-up to last year's "Hip-Hop Is Dead," Nas' Def Jam debut. The set has sold 743,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan." This is the sort of stuff Bill O'Reilly is just waiting for. In brighter news, a tracklist has been released for the upcoming Jay-Z album "American Gangster".Nas

Official American Gangster Tracklist?

The Jay-Z tracklist has been unveiled. In several places, with varying reports of what the tracklist actually is. Here's what the Wikipedia entry has to say: 1 "Intro" 2 "Pray" 3 "American Dreamin'" 4 "Hello Brooklyn 2.0" (featuring Lil Wayne) 5 "No Hook" 6 "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is...)" 7 "Sweet" 8 "I Know" 9 "Party Life" 10 "Ignorant Shit" (featuring Beanie Sigel) 11 "Say Hello" 12 "Success" (featuring Nas) 13 "Fallin'" * "Blue Magic" featuring (Pharrell) * "American Gangster" Source: Wikipedia.com iTunes tells a different story: 1 Amen 2 Blue Magic 3 Untitled 4 Alright, Alright 5 You Don't Know 6 And the Winner Is 7 American Gangster 8 Welcome 9 Ignorant Sh-t 10 The Demise 11 I Get Money (Remix) The Wikipedia entry clearly looks better overall, but Pitchfork Media reports a similar tracklist as iTunes (or the same one). It's quite possible many of these tracks are just renamed and that iTunes had an early tracklist. The Jay-Z/Nas round 2 collab track produced by No ID is definitely one to anticipate so hopefully list #1 is good to go, as iTunes doesn't even include the Nas track. American Gangster [EXPLICIT] is available at Amazon.com for Pre-Orders.

6 Classic Rap Flicks

Here's my list of some of the best Hip-Hop themed or based DVD's. Two things to note here are: 1) I've never watched "Boys N The Hood" or "Juice" all the way through, so they aren't part of this list (not saying they're bad movies). 2) There's a documentary/concert flick included because it's a great one to check out if you're a fan of Jay-Z and want to see a great behind the scenes film. 6 classic hip-hop DVD's to watch and own: Beat Street - Take it back to the old school here with an early hip hop flick providing an up-close look at the culture including DJing, beatboxing, graffiti and breakdancing as the foundation of early hip hop. It provides the story of up-and-coming DJ Kenny (Guy Davis) and his relationship with jazz musician Tracy (Rae Dawn Chong) as well as a look at graffiti artist Ramon. Also features the likes of hip-hop's most influential early names--Melle Mel, Doug E Fresh, Kool Moe Dee, the Rocksteady Crew, Jazzy Jeff, and Arthur Baker. Belly, Special Edition, Version 2 - Directed by music video superstar director, Hype Williams and featuring rappers Nas, DMX and Method Man as well as T-Boz of R&B group TLC. The movie features the tale of Tommy Brown and Sincere, two men who have made a life out of drug deals and armed robberies. Despite the wealth and good lifestyles, the two decide it's a dead end for them to continue this way and have spiritual awakenings. Features stunning and stylish visuals along with scenes of gritty violence. Hustle & Flow (Widescreen Edition) - A newcomer to the list which recently earned an Oscar Award, but not for its standout acting performances. Instead, this movie received the "Best Song in a Movie" award which went to 3-6 Mafia for "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp". And that's the premise of the movie, a pimp, Djay played by Terrance Howard, struggles to use his musical creativity so that he can gain success as a rap star and create a better life for himself and those he needs to support. Also features rapper Ludacris, comedic actor Anthony Anderson and DJ Qualls (Road Trip & The New Kid). Jay Z - Fade to Black - A highly entertaining concert/documentary about Jay-Z's album of the same title. It has a real "Carlito's Way" style to it with Jay-Z's narration about making his latest CD come together. While the album was originally considered to be Jigga's last, he has since returned. This movie spotlights the big finale concert he gave at Madison Square Garden, featuring many other rappers, producers and celebs. The added bonus is seeing an inside look at how Jay-Z crafted the whole album working with producers such as Kanye West, Rick Reuben, Timbaland and Just Blaze. Menace II Society - A classic film brought to us by the Hughes Brothers directing duo, which many say emulates Boyz N the Hood. It features the tale of a young man, Caine, trying to rebuild his life despite being caught up in a dangerous and detrimental environment involving street gangs, drugs, revenge and shootings in his neighborhood in Watts. Features two up and coming acting stars of the time, Larenz Tate as O-Dog, and Jada Pinkett as Ronnie. New Jack City (Two-Disc Special Edition) - Classic movie which looks into the gritty and dangerous underground world of cocaine dealing and how it impacts communities, families and individuals. Features an arrogant, powerful and ruthless drug lord, Nino Brown, played by Wesley Snipes. Also features an early appearance by comedian Chris Rock. In this one, ironically, the rapper who created the controversial song "Cop Killer", Ice-T takes the role of a detective himself. Classic movie worth seeing and owning in your collection as it has been criticized and praised by many since the early 90's.

TI Leads BET Hip Hop Awards

The King of the South, T.I. is leading all nominees for 2007's BET Hip Hop Awards. T.I. has 9 nominations including best collaboration, best live performance, CD of the year and lyricist of the year. According to Billboard.com: "Other artists with multiple nods include Lil' Wayne nad Kanye West with seven, Common with five, Jay-Z with four, Ludacris and 50 Cent with three and Diddy and UGK with two. Meanwhile, KRS-One will be honored with the "I Am Hip Hop" Icon Award during the ceremony. Nelly, Lil' Wayne, West and Common are scheduled to perform at the event, to be held Oct. 13 at the Civic Center in Atlanta. Comedian Katt Williams will host the show, which will air four days later on BET." Album of the Year nominees: "Finding Forever" - Common "Hip Hop Is Dead" - Nas "Kingdom Come" - Jay-Z "Release Therapy" - Ludacris "T.I. vs T.I.P." - T.I. If I were the judge, Common wins this one hands down, but alot of people have been positive about the Ludacris release too. Should be interesting to see who wins it. Check out BET.com's Hip Hop Awards section for all the details. ---------------- Now playing: Kanye West - Good Life (ft. T-Pain) via FoxyTunes

MTV's Top 10 Hottest MC's Today

First, here's the breakdown of MTV's list: 10. Jim Jones 9. Common 8. 50 Cent 7. Jay-Z 6. Young Jeezy 5. Kanye West 4. Andre 3000 3. Game 2. T.I. 1. Lil Wayne Let the disagreement start. First off, I don't have Lil Wayne and like a lot of his songs. But having listened to rap for quite a while I can't put him at the 1 spot on that list, especially when I see names on the list more deserving. I'd put Common, Jay-Z or Andre 3000 at the 1 spot before Wayne. In fact, those would be my top 3 if that was the list I was working with. There's some obvious names missing too. Nas is a definite miss by whoever conjured that list up. His album "Hip Hop Was Dead" was praised by many and his wordplay is always on point. Possibly this list is based on sales or who's working with people on projects now, but I'd also consider adding the names Talib Kweli, Papoose, Lupe Fiasco and maybe Saigon on there. That's the real hotness in hip hop. My guess is this list is MTV's temperature taking of hip-hop right now, but Jim Jones has not done much lately since "We Fly High". View the MTV list along with its criteria/explanations here.

Where Are They Now? Nas Brings It Back

It's one thing to say "hip-hop is dead", then release a hot near-classic album to examine why it's dead, but then its on another level when you go out and find the legends/pioneers, and put them on a remix. Give Nas his props, he's resurrected the old school pioneers by enlisting an old school All-star-filled remix track featuring many of the names that were dropped on his track "Where Are They Now?" The remix includes: Positive K, Rob Base, Das EFX, Lords Of The Underground, Chip Fu, Father MC, Monie Love, Redhead Kingpin, Dres, The Original Spinderella, EST and Mike G. On top of that, it incorporates many of the classic beats these guys rapped over mixed in with the beat from Nas' track he has on the Hip Hop is Dead album. You can reminisce & get an earful of the hip hop legends on the Nas remix here.

The Playlist

Here's what's playing on the Hip Hop Kingz' Myspace Playlist, located under "Interests" Can't Forget About You - Nas Stuck on You - Prodigy (of Mobb Deep) Let It Go Remix - Little Brother feat. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Lost One - Jay-Z Oops Upside Ya Head - Sean Price Remember the Hustle - Fabolous Provin 'Em Wrong - Rhymefest (from the Killing Fields album by Molemen) Hip Hop Is Dead - Nas Black Republican - Nas feat. Jay-Z The N - Nas Wouldn't Get Far - Game feat Kanye West Still Dreaming - Nas feat. Kanye West The Playlist is a little Nas heavy, but right now Nas' new album is the latest and hottest..You can pick up Nas' "Hip Hop is Dead" and other new releases at the exclusive music store today...