Kanye WestPosts Tagged ‘Kanye West’
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. New track from the XXL class of ‘10 freshman (sidenote: this year’s list was such a let-down. Aside from Nipsey, J.Cole and Big Sean, no one really stood out). The verses could have used some percussion and less reverb on the vocals, but at least Mr. Hudson really delivered a great hook. On the lyrical side of things, I’m concerned that Big Sean is taking too much from his mentor – his wordplay, flow, even his cadence on some lines is sounding almost identical to Kanye’s on this track. Sean needs to remember to not lose himself if he wants to stand out and remain as one of the most buzzed about up-and-comers in the game. Download link after the jump. Kanye has been going through some tough times recently so instead of piling on with the negativity (which I did plenty of before the Taylor incident) I must congratulate Kanye on this video. Nabil is one of my favorite directors and always makes a video that is visually entertaining the whole time. I normally am not a fan of these highly artistic videos and maybe its my bias towards Nabil’s work, but for some reason this one seemed alright to me but I did like the album version of the song better. Now this has to be the last video for 808s so the anticipation is starting to build for that rumored new album in the works and I’m sure Kanye has had a lot to write about the past 6 months.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Here’s something to pique your interest just in time for B.o.B.’s May 25th mixtape (dropping February 1st – confusing, I know). Over an old Mr. West beat (he’s got a new rant by the way), Bobby Ray and Ash Roth go in, and you can hear the whole, clear-quality version when the tape drops next Monday No DJ version is up. The XXL Class of ‘09 is showing no signs of slowing down, with dudes like B.o.B., Asher, Cudi, and Mickey Factz all showing signs of improvement as their careers progress. Disagree if you must, but I feel that the creative and left-field surge in ‘09 (and some of ‘08 I guess) was what hip-hop needed to recover after several rather mediocre years. Download link after the jump.
Tagged: asher roth, b.o.b., bobby ray, cdq, download, fuck the money, Kanye West, may 25th, mixtape, mp3, no dj
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. This song is the version that is supposedly not on his album but will be the single they release anyways. I hadn’t even realized that the album wasn’t released yet but this could be one of the rare times a delay actually benefits the artist. Since he is on G.O.O.D. and closely affiliated with Kanye it’s better that all his controversy fully blows over before someone attaches himself to him and ultimately his image. What is every one’s take on Hudson? He is one of my favorite new pop artists and Kanye should really give more credit to him for the apparent work he did on 808’s. Download: Mr. Hudson ft. Kanye West – “Anyone But Him” (Single Version)
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Mos Def – Quiet Dog Bite Hard Ah, the best song category. Even though my choices were limited to hip-hop, I had a nearly impossible time compiling this list and selecting a victor. In the end, I narrowed the short-list down to the songs that got progressively better with each listen and chose the winner from that. “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” might not grab your attention in your first listen. Like me, you might ignore this song for months before giving it another chance. As you give it that second chance, then a third, a fourth and so on, you begin to realize that “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” is an addicting song. It’s lively, up-tempo bounce puts you in a good mood and the beat that drives this feeling is hard to dislike. The Latin flair in the instrumental feels more rhythmic and energetic than any standard hip-hop beat from this year.The quiet “simmer down” hook accentuates the high-energy verses, making the balance in this song on point. Party song or not, Mos Def delivers with some tight lyrics and his flow is just as rhythmic as the beat. “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” is not the best song of 2009 because it draws you in on the first listen; rather, it’s the best song because it retains your interest for many more listens to come. Check out and listen to the full list of honorable mentions after the jump.
Tagged: 2009, 3 AM, a yo, ain't nothing like you, al shux, alicia keys empire state of mind, angels, audio two, ayo, back on my b.s., ballskin, bite hard, blackout, blackout 2, blakroc, boi 1-da, boi-1da, born like this, Busta Rhymes, chillin, Common, dame dash, decision, doom, drake, eminem, enemy of the state, exhibit c, forever, ghostface, gza, Hoochie Coo, house of flying daggers, i wish i knew natalie portman, inspectah deck, jamie foxx, jay electronica, Jay-Z, Jim Jones, john legend, k-os, Kanye West, kid cudi, lady gaga, lil wayne, Lupe Fiasco, man on the moon, mary j blige, Method Man, mf doom, mos def, nelly furtado, only built 4 cuban linx 2, quiet dog, raekwon, Redman, refill, relapse, saukrates, slaughterhouse, solo dolo, song of the year, successful, the black keys, the ecstatic, the end of day, the one, the recap, Toronto, trey songz, Wale
Eminem: 3 AM (directed by Syndrome)
If there is one field that hip-hop lags behind in comparison to other genres, it’s music videos. We’re all aware that the phrase “hip-hop music video” has become synonymous with many negative stereotypes, but more and more, rappers have been breaking free from this mould. Eminem is just too batshit crazy to fit into that mould, and so when news spread that the video for the single “3 AM” was going to be premiered on cable-access Cinemax, interest was piqued. Directed by Syndrome, this music video captures the demented terror of the song thanks to its settings, its lighting (which may not seem like a big deal but is absolutely spot-on), and its overall mood. On top of that, Em portrayed the character in the song incredibly, as is proven in the scene where he is sitting in the bathtub of blood and only his eyes are visible. After watching this mini horror movie, you can see why it deserved to be premiered on a channel like Cinemax.
Read the list of honorable mentions and watch their videos after the jump.
Tagged: 2009, 3 AM, 4 3 2 1, 4321, black noise, Common, drew lightfoot, eminem, fresh prince, hot dog garbage, jackin, jackin my fresh, k-os, Kanye West, kenny frankland, kid cudi, lady gaga, lex one, london, make her say, music video, nez, recap, refill, relapse, shad, syndrome, the old prince, the old prince still lives at home, yes
Kid Cudi – Solo Dolo (Executive Producer, Kanye West; Co-Executive Producer, Emile Haynie) Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Best does not always mean biggest, and this instrumental proves just that. Kanye and his co-producers helped make the movie/play concept of Man On The Moon: The End Of Day come to life by offering the perfect backdrops to Kid Cudi’s lyrics. The beat behind “Solo Dolo” captures the eerie loneliness in the words with its pizzicato minor triad looping through the verses leading into the full sound of the strings section in the chorus. Even the reverb is perfect, allowing notes to resonate through otherwise silent moments. Kanye and Emile prove that the producers should never steal the show but rather build the stage upon which the show is acted out. Read and listen to the full list of honorable mentions for this category after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Tagged: 40, alicia keys, angels, appleton, asher roth, beat, beats, best beat of the year, Black Keys, blakroc, clipse, cudi zone, dame dash, Diddy, dirty money, drake, emile, emile haynie, empire state of mind, g.o.o.d. music, i wish i knew natalie portman, i'm good, instrumental, Jay-Z, Jim Jones, k-os, Kanye West, kid cudi, lark on my go-kart, mos def, natalie portman, nelly furtado, neptunes, no i.d., pharrell, recap, saukraes, solo dolo, successful, swizz beatz, thank you, trey songz, venus vs. mars
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