Jay Electronica feat. Diddy "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace"

Ooowee. This week has just been RIDICULOUS. But this might be the capstone. Apparently Jay got this beat by asking people on iChat to send him beats, and this is the one he chose. Diddy's influence is negliagble, as he just basically talks throughout the song. Jay though. If you weren't a believer before, this should help to persuade you. Hopefully this guy comes out with an album or mixtape at some point. He's just too good to just keep putting out single songs. Btw this is unfinished, so (hopefully) we can expect something a little more polished in the future.

Jay Electronica feat. Diddy- "The Ghost of Christopher Wallace"

Jeezy "Hood Politics (Video)"

Trap or Die 2, May 4th.

Jay Electronica

Is this week for real?

Eminem "Not Afraid (Radio Rip)"

Tagged up rip of Em's new single off of Recovery. If you've listened to anything Em has done lately, I think you know what to expect. Production by Boi-1da CDQ should be coming soon.

Eminem- "Not Afraid (Radio Rip)"

Drake "Find Your Love"

Second single off of Thank Me Later. Kanye West production, so you KNOW this is going to be good. OVO has got that good stuff.

Drake- "Find Your Love"

Lupe Fiasco "I'm Beaming (Video)"

Wow.

J. Cole "Who Dat"

First single off J Cole's debut album, Cole World. Only one way to explain it really:

J. Cole- "Who Dat"

Eminem "Despicable Freestyle"

Em lets loose a few bars over Drake's "Over" and Banks' "Beamer, Benz, or Bentley." Marshall is on another level lyrically, and hopefully this holds you over until Thursday.

Eminem- "Despicable Freestyle"

Young Jeezy feat. Plies "Lose My Mind (Video)"

Trap or Die 2 coming April 30th.

Donnis "Gone (Video) & Mixtape"

So I'm a little late jumping on the Donnis bandwagon, but there is no doubt that the man has skills. His Diary of an Atlanta Brave mixtape which came out last year, is real solid, from the beginning to the end. Here's his video for "Gone" which I could DEFINITELY see being a huge hit on the radio. After a couple listens, it's safe to say he has a bright future ahead of him. I'd put him right behind J. Cole, and Wiz Khalifa as the artists off XXL's Freshman list most likely to blow up this year. Anyways, grab the tape HERE. You won't regret it.

B.o.B. feat. T.I. "Not Lost"

With the anticipation growing ever more palpable for Mr. Bobby Ray's upcoming debut The Adventures of Bobby Ray, here's a little something that won't make it on the album, but is good nonetheless. Produced by J.R. Rotem, the song samples Coldplay's "Lost," and it works perfectly. The Adventures of Bobby Ray comes out April 27th.

B.o.B. feat. T.I.- "Not Lost"

Big K.R.I.T. feat. Devin the Dude "Moon and Stars"

I'd never heard of Big K.R.I.T. until he was featured on Wiz's Kush and Orangejuice, which if you haven't gotten, get on it. Anyways, there is no doubt the Mississippi native has some serious skills, and this laid back tune with a little help from Devin the Dude, showcases just that. Off of K.R.I.T. Wuz Here, dropping May 3rd. Props to 2db.

Big K.R.I.T. feat. Devin the Dude- "Moon and Stars"

Chiddy Bang "Truth (Video)"

Nice visual from CB for one of my favorite songs of their's, "Truth." This one samples Passion Pit, and as usual it's fantastic. It's from their first mixtape Swelly Express. They continue to do good things.

Joell Ortiz feat. Novel "Call Me"

This song/video has been out for a while, but I have since recently become enamored with it, so I figured I'd share. Mr. Ortiz is quickly establishing himself as one of my favorite rappers, and this song serves as the perfect introduction to those not familiar.

jj "ceo birthday"

A nice little surprise from the mysterious jj. Adhering to their trend of covering popular rap/r&b songs, jj lets loose on Jeremih's "Birthday Sex," and the result is nothing less than interesting, to say the least. jj take a different route, and completely transform the beat, while still remaining faithful to the lyrics.

jj- "ceo birthday"

The xx "Islands (Video)"

Here's the video for the xx's "Islands" off their self-titled debut. I thought this album was one of the best of last year, and adding visuals to an already outstanding track never hurts.

Guru From Gang Starr Dead at Age 43

Guru who is part of one of the most well known rap groups (Gang Starr) was found dead this morning. I found out earlier today, but I haven't been around to post anything up. Guru was born in the Boston area and he was one of the leaders of rap since the 1980's. He was one of the first to use jazz beats in hip hop. Guru has been battling cancer for quite some time now and today it finally took him for good. To me, this is something that is quite sad, especially since Gang Starr has always been one of my favorite rap groups.

Here's two of my personal favorites. No Need for Stress by Guru...

And Playtawin by Gang Starr.

Rest easy up there Guru.

B.o.B. feat Hayley Williams and Eminem "Airplanes Pt. 2"

You've heard the first part. Now for the second, sprinkled with a little extra Marshall.

B.o.B. feat Hayley Williams and Eminem- "Airplanes Pt. 2"

J. Cole "We On"

Unreleased J. Cole track that was apparently left off Dj Khaled's latest Victory album. Why, I don't know. Really solid track, with a nice guitar and piano beat, and of course J. Cole doing his usual thing. Honestly, J. Cole might be the best all around rapper in this year's class.

J. Cole- "We On"

Wiz Khalifa Kush and Orange Juice

Finally. This mixtape finally drops. This has been real hyped and I have been awaiting it's drop for quite some time now. Check it out and take a listen. My favorite so far is Glass House.

Wiz Khalifa - Kush and Orange Juice

New Charles Hamilton - I Hate Parties

I'm not usually a Charles Hamilton fan but this song was better than most of what I've heard before. Check it out.

Charles Hamilton - I Hate Parties

British Music

Hopefully you've downloaded the new Chiddy Bang mini-mixtape Air Swell. (If not you can get it HERE.) The tape was made during Chiddy's trips to England to do shows, and promote their EP. And in typical Chiddy fashion, they used mostly British artists as samples for the tape. This got me to thinking. While Chiddy did a great job with the samples, these artists are good in their own right. Unfortunately, their success and exposure does not always transfer over here in the states. So I am going to highlight two of the artists, Kate Nash (sampled on "Breakfast"), and Ellie Goulding (sampled on "Under the Sheets"), and hopefully get some people interested in them, as they are both extremely talented.

I first heard of Ellie Goulding when I was in England this past fall for three months. Her style is a kind of blend of folk and electro, as odd as that sounds. She has been in the spotlight for a while, and finally put out her debut album Lights (produced by British super-producer Starsmith) this past March, which I highly recommend checking out. Here's "Starry Eyed," which carries the same electro feeling of "Under the Sheets," while also showcasing Ellie's unique voice.

I had never heard of Kate Nash until I listened to Air Swell, but I thought the sample of her on "Breakfast" was probably the best on the tape. So I looked into her, and I really like her style. Like Ellie, she is kind of a blend of acoustic/piano/electro, and has a very unique voice. Some say she over-states her accent, but I think it's fine. Chiddy samples "Skeleton Song" on their tape, but I'm going to give you guys her more popular song "Foundations." This song uses a bouncy piano beat, which contrasts with the pessimistic and somber lyrics. Anyways, it's a great song, as are the rest off Ms. Nash's Made of Bricks.

B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams "Airplanes"

Told you we'd have some more good stuff. Leak from B.o.B.'s upcoming The Adventures of Bobby Ray. If this is any indication of what the rest of the album will be like, we might be looking at hip-hop album of the year, if not album of the year. Hayley Williams is the girl with bright orange hair from Paramore if you didn't know already, and her voice definitely helps give the the song its unique sound. And of course, B.o.B. does his usual excellent job.

B.o.B. feat. Hayley Williams- "Airplanes"

Drake "Over (Video)"

Here's the visuals for Drake's "Over" which I've actually been starting to like more and more. The video is actually more creative than I thought it would be, which is definitely a plus. Sorry for the lack of posting lately, but stay tuned, because there are some big things coming up today/this week.

New Chiddy Bang Mini Mixtape

While I was awaiting a few new mixtapes to drop, I found out to my surprise that Chiddy Bang was going to drop one this week. The name of the tape is Air Swell. You know how much we love Chiddy and so far this tape has not disappointed one bit. Banger upbeat electronic beats with flowy but almost freestyle sounding lyrics. Check them out for sure! They are on the rise lately so check them out and support them!

Chiddy Bang - Air Swell Mixtape

Big Boi "Shutterbugg"

Oh my lawd. This is so dope. Production by Scott Storch, and this song just works so well, on so many levels. Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty is shaping up to be incredible.

Big Boi- "Shutterbugg"

Wiz Khalifa "In the Cut (Video) (Live)"

A slightly grainy video from Wiz's recent show in Northampton, MA. Apparently this song is going to be on Kush and Orange Juice, but at this point, who knows. Then again, anything is better than nothing.

The Dream feat. Jeezy "Love King (Remix)"

The official remix to The Dream's single. For those of you not in the know, it's "Jeezy" now, no "Young" attached.

The Dream feat. Jeezy- "Love King (Remix)"