Jay-Z signs Cher Lloyd

So, rumour has it that Jay-Z is signing Cher Lloyd to RocNation. I haven't heard any definite reports yet but the word on the blogging streets is that Hov has beaten will.i.am to sign the 17 year old to his label. Sounds like another Lady Sov saga to me!

Nipsey Hu$$le - The Marathon [MIXTAPE]

An early Chritmas present from Father Hu$$le...check Nipsey's new mixtape offering.

Download

Snoop's Season's Greetings

In the spirit of Christmas, Snoop drops a festive tale with a twist for a Pepsi ad campaign. Ironic, since Cola invented the image we see as Santa that he now chooses to drink Pepsi!



Ho ho ho fo shizzle!

Dr Dre to cover XXL Dec/Jan 2011

Detox is coming. Where have I heard that before? Well, Detox or not the interview with Dre should make for a revealing read. Plus, Kanye gets his 3rd XXL - purchase My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Nov. 22nd and see if you agree!

AZ - Doe or Die 15th Anniversary disc

It was 1994 when Anthony 'AZ' Cruz appeared as the only guest apperance on Nas's classic debut Illmatic, a year later he layed the foundations of what would lead him to be a favourite with the real Hip Hop heads - Do or Die. I was 9 when that was released but today AZ is still one of my favourite rappers and with the release of the 15th Anniversary disc, hopefully it will bring AZ's flows to a whole new generation.

Here's a taster from the album:

Bigz - Starman [VIDEO]

The brashy opener to Big'z 2010 EP Starman gets a video to match.

Big Sean & Chiddy Bang - Too Fake [VIDEO]

This joint features on Big Sean's Finally Famous 3, video production courtesy of Mike Waxx. These rappers need to be careful not to under estimate Chiddy's ability for infectious word play because before you know it, you've just been killed on your own track!

Twista ft Ray J - Call The Police

I've not been good to the blogging world lately - time to step my game up. There's plenty to catch up on, so I'm going to get it started with my favourite song of the week. Twista's speedy yet slick bars have always lent themselves well to the slow jams and this single off of his forthcoming album, The Perfect Storm, is no exception.



The Chi-Town rapper's 8th solo effort hits stores November 9th.

BET Cypher 2010 - Rev Run, Diggy, Jojo, Ice Cube, Doughboy and OMG

Ever seen a cypher like this before? This is family business! The sons of Run and the sons of Cube pitch-up alongside their Pops to deliver some bars, ok, get voting...who do you think won the fitted crown?

Wyclef named visiting fellow.

Wyclef's efforts to improve the lifes of thousands of Haitian residents has already taken the former Fugees front man across the world; now it takes him back to the classroom.

 
Having recently been made a visting fellow at Rhode Island's Brown University, Wyclef will attend various lectures, classes and discussions involved with the University's Department of African studies - in particular their 'Haitian Initiative'.

Wyclef commented:

 “I hope to make a genuine contribution to the rich intellectual community at the University and to its Haitian Initiative in particular. I am a lifelong student and appreciate this unique opportunity to contemplate all the potential and possibilities, as well as the contributions of my homeland, and Haitians in the diaspora, to the world's creative culture.”

To find out more about Wyclef's appointment visit the University website.

Nelly - Just A Dream [VIDEO]

Nelly, where you been at? And how the hell did you get your car up there?

Here's the video for Nelly's, Just A Dream, the first single off of the upcoming Nelly 5.0 - the St. Louis rapper's sixth studio album.

Lil Wayne Ft. Drake - With You.

Here's a new track off of Weezy's upcoming album, I Am Not A Human Being. Ready for a slow jam?

via rapradar.com

Get the album Monday 4th Oct.

M.I. battles Iceberg Slim at NEA

M.I. and Iceberg Slim battle at the Nigeria Entertainment Awards.

M.I. kills it...




It's all love though.

via houseofnaija.com 

Chiddy Bang - The Good Life [VIDEO]

 You had the song a few posts ago, now here's the video...Ah, what the hell, it's going up as my 'video of the moment' too.



Don't forget you can preorded The Preview - due for release 11/10/10 - on amazon.co.uk

Kweli announces new album.

 
Today Kweli announced, via twitter, that he's been working on his 5th solo album - Gutter Rainbows.

A later twitter post revealed that the title was apparently taken from the novel Cather In The Rye.

Professor Green - Monster [VIDEO]

Nas - The Lost Tapes 2

Mr Jones sure knows how to make a Hip Hop fan's day/month...hell, even year! Yesterday on twitter, Nas announced that he was planning to release a follow-up to his 2002 classic - The Lost Tapes - to be aptly named, The Lost tapes 2.

God's Son later spoke to MTV saying:

"I’m unloading records I want the streets to hear. Cleaning out my hard drives. Gonna do this, then start fresh. I’m dropping my solo LP before the summer of 2011. I love the energy the world has been giving me over the last two years. But now it’s time to focus on owning the streets again."

via MTV.

A new solo LP and a follow-up to what has to be one of my favourite Nas albums...what more could a girl ask for?

Chiddy Bang - The Good Life

Apparently produced by Pharrell, this track is taken from The Preview which is set to be released on 10-10-10. Get on the pre-order!

Willow Smith - I Wip My Hair

I know I'm late on this now, but I had to give Willow Smith a word. If you haven't heard her first track yet - I Wip My Hair - then check it out below.



Willow, 9, appeared on Ryan Seacrest's radio show in the States, to talk about her new independent stardom, when who should be on the phone but Hov, who recently signed Willow to RocNation. Having Jigga call you a star would out a smile on anyone's face.



So, who's going to be next from the Smith family?

Diggy & DJ Spin King - Airborne [MIXTAPE]

Credit where it's due, Diggy "son of Rev Run" Simmons, has been making independent moves over the last year. His first mixtape The First Flight turned out to be very well received, and the wait for his sophomore effort, has me thinking that this one will fair even better. Judge for yourself, and check the tracklist for the famous guest apperances (I'm guessing even Daddy didn't have a hand in this)...

Courtesy of datpiff

Notting Hill Carnival

Last weekend was the August bank holiday, which once again saw the streets of Notting Hill filled up with carnival-goers. I thought I'd share with you some of the photos we took. Most of our time was spent at the Naija Corner which I featured a few posts ago. Banky W made his apperance as expected and 9ice also hit the stage to make this year's Naija corner the biggest one yet.

Wiz Khalifa - Black and Yellow

Young Khalifa's mixtapes always get heavy rotation on my ipod. So, I'm looking forward to seeing what he has offer with his major label debut album (Rostrum/Atlantic Records).

To kick things off, here's Black and Yellow which was produced by Norwegian producers Stargate.

Black & Yellow download

Chiddy Bang album update

Earlier today, Chidera kindly cleared up any album confusion. Looks like we have to wait until next year for the full release - but the preview will keep us going until then.

Bigz - Starman

Bigz Flygerian has graced us with his latest work of art STARMAN. If you haven't done so already then hit the download link now and enjoy. I think this is definitely one to rival The Flight Of The Navigator.

Swoooooossshhhh!

NaS - Power, Paper, Pussy

New NaS... you know this has got to hit the blog. Note the Dizzy beat at the beginning. NaS goes iiiinnnnnnnnn!

Notting Hill Carnival - Naija Corner

For those of you (Nigerian's) who've been to the Notting Hill Carnival, you'll know that the Nigerian corner is often tricky to find. If you're wearing any kind of Naija paraphernalia you'll likely to have people come up to you asking where the Nigerian stand is. This year the Naija corner is due to be at the same place as last year, which is Adela Street, just off of Kensal Road (see maps).

Those rumoured to be performing this year include Banky W, DJ Jimmy Jatt and Basketmouth. Also head down to Cokobar on Saturday 28th for the annual all white party also featuring Banky W and Co.

Chiddy Bang - Pro's Freestyle

This was one of my favourite joints of The Swelly Express ...here's the guys performing it on a roof top. Why not!





Keep an eye out for the guys debut album The Swelly Life coming soon.

Wyclef's protest song - 'Pou Kepa'

He may have been barred from running in the Haiti presidential elections, but Wylcef cannot be silenced. Earlier today, on twitter, he released this song in Creole, in protest against the CEP (Haiti electoral comission) stating 'We want equal rights and justice'.

Diggy - Oh Yeah! Ft. Lupe & Pharrell

Ok, I know I'm late with this, but still worthy of a post. Daniel "Diggy" Simmons, dropped this earlier in the week, ahead of his next mixtape AirBorne. I would say his voice has definitely matured since The First Flight so I'm looking forward to hearing what he has to offer with his next effort. Of course, it always helps when you've got Lupe & P on some verses with you.

Download your copy here

Young Jeezy - 1000 grams [MIXTAPE]

Denney's Place has been down for a long minute, but I'm coming back from my hiatus, it may be a slow comeback, but I'm back none-the-less.

So, first off, lets start with Jeezy's new mixtape 1000 grams, which is hosted by DJ Scream. I haven't heard it yet, so let me know what you think.

Young Jeezy - 1000 grams

J.Cole & Chipmunk freestyle on 1Xtra

This is getting a lot of mixed responses on the web, so let me know what you think. Personally I agree that J.Cole could have vibed better with someone else, and Chip looked a little nervous given the bars he was spitting. I've got love for Chip and any hate has got to be a sign of jealousy: the boy has achieved a lot. Right now, though, we can't afford any less than matching up bar-for-bar with the US rappers aand there's no doubting Cole is leading the line of the new-school.



props to semtex.

Wale is back...

He's playing live at the arts club in Notting Hill tonight, and I damn well wish I was there. But to keep you satisfied he's not only dropped a preview video to his new mixtape "More About Nothing" but a new track for your enjoyment. Check them out.



and download Workin' produced by Dj Yogi from the UK.

Now get to the show Wale!

50 starts some B.I.G beef with Diddy

It seems as though Fiddy has left a parting gift for Diddy before he heads off to Jamaica; a nicely wrapped petition, in an attempt to stop Diddy using BIG's name in order to stack up record sales.

Sure, Diddy uses Chirstopher's name on the frequent, but there's no doubt he had mad love for BIG, so what's 50's issue? Who's betting if (God forbid) something happened to 'Em that 50 wouldn't be name-dropping for time?

Ok, so maybe I'm biased: I've never exactly had love for Curtis, but for those that do, go ahead sign the petition...isn't Diddy's moto "Can't stop, won't stop"


via rapradar.com

Chiddy Bang - Sooner Or Later [VIDEO]

If you knew about 'Proto' before you knew about 'Chiddy', then it's very likely you'll enjoy this video. Filmed by Chidera himself on a trip back to Nigeria, it plays out as a perfect video for the track Sooner Or Later which featured on their Opposite Of Adults EP.



And if you don't know what I mean when I say Proto, then you're missing out on a whole bunch of quality songs. This song (below) was probably the first ever time I heard Proto, and I've been hooked to him and Xaphoon since. This was recorded with Chiddy's friend and fellow Nigerian artist eLDee.




And if ya don't know...

Dead Prez - Revolutionary But Gansta Grillz [MIXTAPE]

Ok, I am LONG overdue on this one (apologies) but this new DJ Drama-hosted Dead Prez mixtape dropped the day I flew to Egypt, and I've been very slow at getting back to things. But here it is, if you haven't done the download yet, this is a MUST. DP are always the realest. Can't wait to give this a listen.

Revolutionary But Gangsta Grillz

Let me know what you think.

Watch this space...

Off to Egypt for a week. More updates on my return.

Bluey Robinson A64

I feel like one day, we're going to wake up and this guy will have taken over the RnB world. In case you haven't seen it yet, check out his A64. Props sbtv.co.uk

Donnis - Outta Here Ft. Tony Williams [VIDEO]

I actually really like the sound of this joint, which is off of the upcoming EP Fashionably Late, dropping June 22nd. This video is just a snippet, but there's not long to wait now.



via illroots.com

Donnis goes for the double on June 22nd as he is due to release an album - through Atlantic records- and a mixtape on the same day.

eLDee - One Day [VIDEO]

Featured on eLDee's Is It Your Money Vol.1 CD, One Day is considered by many the I Go Yarn 2 of eLDee's musical catalogue. The message portrayed is certainly just as effective; the video perhaps more so. Featuring cameos from several Nigerian artists and with eLDee taking a central yet un-brashy role, the message is unmistakeable. "New day, new way, to revolution".

T.I. on next cover of XXL

This isn't Tip's first cover with XXL, but the inside story may be the most reveiling.

Where's the lion?

Game - 10 lines every Hip-Hop head should know

A reminder that Jayceon, isn't just a rapper - he's a fan, and a real Hip-Hop head. Whilst having a shape-up, the compton rapper, effortlessly recites 10 well-known lines from ten well-known songs.




How many did you get?

T.I. - Album artwork

The king of the jungle and the king uncaged, all on one album cover; what more could you ask for?

and a nice behind the scenes to wet your apetite for the album...

eLDee - New website

Today, eLDee announced his new website eLDee Music...

...check it out to hear a range of his tracks, keep up-to-date with his tour schedule and get your hands on a couple of downloads.

Now that's some feel good music!

Fela! At the Tony Awards.

Just a moment to reflect on the collective wealth of these two couples please...

'The Smiths' and 'The Carters' donned their best attire to attend the 64th Tony awards, in support of the play Fela!; which received 11 nomintations, and for which both couples had put in a lot of time and investment into.

The play, which commemorates the life of Fela Kuti, took home three awards.

Dead Prez - Far From Ova

Dead Prez always features pretty heavily on my ipod plays, so I'm hyped to hear this new joint from the boys. M-1 and stic.man have got a DJ Drama-hosted mixtape dropping June 22nd, entitled Revolutionary But Gansta Grills (Red, Black and Green if you know what I mean) . Question is, will I have time to download it before I fly to Egypt, that same day?

via rapradar.com

My Dead-Prez-related memory: Being pretty much the only white person at a gig they played at The Coronet, in Elephant & Castle, a few years back. Good show!

YQ - Dresscode Ft. Naeto C & Ejay

This is a nice RnB joint from, storm records artist, YQ Jubril. Label mate, Naeto C lays some bars at the end, making this a sure hit.



YQ - who hails from Kogi State- is set to release an album I Am YQ shortly, but no release date has been announced as yet.

Diddy meets Jonathan Ross

In case you missed it, this Friday Diddy hit the BBC studios to chop it up with Jonathan Ross. Diddy did well, even thought at times it was clear he wasn't getting the British sense of humour.

Fashawn - Ode To Illmatic [MIXTAPE]

I mentioned this mixtape in a previous post back in March, and it's safe to say I had my reservations. None-the-less I'm excited to see what Fashawn has to offer when spitting over the instrumentals that graced one of the greatest albums of all time. Head to the download and let me know what you think...

Download

Via 2dopeboyz

Omo Naija

This has been in my edit box, to be posted for days now. I know it's up everywhere else already but I couldn't not have it on my blog!...
eLDee has been laying it DOWN on the past couple of tracks he's dropped. I may be a little biased, but if you've got eLDee on a track, then you've got a hit on your hands. Team him up with the UK's own S.A.S and Bigz, then you go from hit to ANTHEM! This years anthem comes in the form of Omo Naija, check it out below.

T.I. - Yea Ya Know [VIDEO]

Is it a trailer? Is it a music video? Is it a mixtape promo? Who cares...it's Tip, and his new film Takers is out August 20th.

Minaj: Cover to Cover

If there was any doubt that Ms Minaj is the female rapper du jour, she has not only managed to bag the last cover of XXL (which she shared with Drake), but has now gone one better and taken the next cover of VIBE all for herself.

The XXL cover which she shared with Drake; slightly more tame than the VIBE cover (below)...

You can love her or hate her, but from the looks of these covers, you have to respect her!

Timaya - Who Born You [VIDEO]

One thing about Timaya; he always brings it HEAVY! This track - which features on The Rebirth album- is no exception. The new video is on-point as well, and suits the song for what it is. Check it out...



They call me Timaya...

New Tupac Movie

This news is a few days old now, but definitely worthy of a mention in case you haven't heard...

It has recently been confirmed that Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, will be directing a new movie based on the life of Tupac Shakur. 2003 brought us the release of Tupac: Ressurection, the documentary film made-up of archived footage of Tupac, along with pictures and apprearences from those close to him; all narrated in his own words. This latest venture though, will be a feature film (think 2009's Notorious) based on the late rapper/poet/activist/actor's life, with the hope of casting an un-known actor in the role of Tupac. "That's the goal, I want to discover someone new," explained Fuqua. This is likely to be a wise-move, as it may be hard to believe the legened of Tupac in the guise of somebody already well-known.

Antoine Fuqua

I wasn't the biggest fan of Notorious but i'm willing to see how this one translates, and 'Pac always holds a special place in my heart. Given that Tupac also enjoyed a successful acting career before his death, it would have been interesting to know his thoughts on this whole project.

source http://www.digitalspy.com/

NaS does 'Hey Young World' for Levi

When Levi decided to invite artists they consider "pioneering" to take part in their new marketing campaign, it may come as no suprise that for the Hip Hop genre this came in the form of Nasir Jones. It's no more of a surprise, that when asked to "re-craft the classic songs that inspired their sound", Nas chose Hey Young World by champion story-teller Slick Rick. There is little doubt that, as a 15 year old at the height of a hip-hop obssesion, Esco would have been highly influenced when the English born rapper released his debut disk, The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick.



You can download the song at http://www.levispioneersessions.com/.

How many of you would kill to see Nas in the studio for real? The video is a nice imsight though.