Akon

By Carsten Dubcnn has exclusive news on Game’s fourth studio album “The R.E.D. Album”. First off, note that the correct reference to his name is now Game, it is no longer The Game. As for the album, the release date is currently set for December 8, but there is a chance that it may slip by one week. You can expect the first street single from the album as early as next week. The track is called “Crazy” and features Gucci Mane with production by Timbaland. The first mainstream single from the album will be serviced next week also. It is entitled “L.A. Girl” and features Chris Brown. The track was produced by Pharrell. Other guest appearances on the album include Akon, Diddy, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross and Beanie Sigel. The rest of the production was handled by Akon, Pollow da Do...   [read the full post]

By Carsten The two greatest enemies to career success in hip-hop are jealousy and time. Fat Joe has been rapping about the former for over 15 years now, and he’s still here big balling and eating good – possibly better than he ever has in his career. In any field of endeavor, it only takes one envious person turning from jealousy to hatred to cause tragedy, but hip-hop artists have seen more than their fair share. It may be that intimate knowledge of what haters are thinking that has given Joe a survivor’s edge – the more he’s rapped about it, the more he avoids the urban traps set by everyone who prays for his downfall. Give credit where it’s due – Joe is a crafty, entrepreneurial and resourceful dude. TOTAL Vibes: 6 of 10   [read the full post]

By Carsten Freeway: Freeway Is Back (Mixtape)Leak: The-Deam - Rockin’ That Thang (Freemix) (feat. Freeway)Wale - Cyphr feat. Young Chris, Freeway and Beanie SigelFreeway - Baby Back (produced by Blunt)Freeway - How I Feel (Produced by Cassius)Video: Freeway Speaks About New AlbumBrother Ali’s Truth Is Here EP is good for youRyan Leslie: Ryan Leslie (Review)Akon: Freedom (Reviews)Jadakiss - The Last Kiss

By Carsten “This week we welcomed back Toronto rapper/actor Drake to our studio for the recording of several tracks for his upcoming album project, Thank Me Later. One of the tracks included a song Drake wrote for American rapper Young Jeezy. Also in the studio with Drake was engineer, producer, and production manager Noah “40” Shebib. “40” has worked with Drake on his February 2009 released mixtape, So Far Gone, which received 8,000 downloads within its first two hours of release. Audio: DJ Semtex interviews Drake“Paranoid” ft. RIHANNA = Kanye’s Next SingleAudio: Drake On Cipha Sounds & Peter RosenbergDrake Interview On Complex.comSaukrates - Fades Away feat. King Reign & DrakeVideo: Jeezy Announces New Album…Akon - I’m So Paid f. Lil Way...   [read the full post]

By Carsten Overall Score: 7.5 of 10 Read the full review here Also, via Slant Magazine Overall Score: 2/5Similar Posts: Busta Rhymes - Arab Money (Remix) (ft. Ron Browz, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, Akon & Lil Wayne)Busta Rhymes ft. Ron Browz - Arab MoneyLeak: Jay Rock - All My Life (feat. The Game, Gorilla Zoe & Busta Rhymes)Complex Mag Interviews Busta RhymesQ-Tip ft. Busta Rhymes - Gettin’ Up (DJ Scratch RMX)Musiq Soulchild: On My Radio (Reviews)DJ Green Lantern - Black President feat. Talib Kweli, David Banner and Busta Rhymes (Remix Pt. 1)Busta Rhymes - Light Up A Fire (prod. Don Cannon)Busta Rhymes: I’ve Already Outshined Your Favorite Rapper Part 2 (Mixtape)Leak: Busta Rhymes - Conglomerate (feat. Young Jeezy & Jadakiss)   [read the full post]

By Carsten Also, Via NappyAfro Since Pimp C’s untimely death one year ago, we have come to understand that yet another good one has gone to grace far to early in life. Pimp C’s influence and impact on the rap game can still be seen living through Southern artists like T.I., Slim Thug, and Young Jeezy. But it can mostly be seen through his partner-in-rhyme and the other half of UGK, Bun B. Bun stated that this was going to in fact be the last UGK album to be released, so there won’t be any 2Pac style posthumous albums of unreleased Pimp C verses and songs. This is good, as UGK has built a lasting legacy after 7 album releases that one wouldn’t want to see it tarnished. With this album being dedicated to Pimp C, let’s see how it fairs as UGK’s final curtain call.   [read the full post]

By Carsten Eminem Talks About 1st Single “We Made You”He’s baaaaaack! Eminem returns but for what?Top 10 Hip-Hop Music Videos of All TimeRelapse Coming In MayLeak: Eminem - Crack A Bottle (feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent)Music Video: Fat Joe - (We All Need) One (feat. Akon)Eminem to host Secret Party, Celebrates New BookVH1 Storytellers: Kanye West (Video + Audio)Eminem Speaks On RelapseWax & EOM - The Adventures Of Larry & Tina (video) We usally don’t post music videos in the headline stories but if someone like Eminem is coming back with a new video which was played 2 times in 20 minutes on MTV then you will find it here… Enjoy! BONUS DOWNLOAD: Eminem - We Made You (c) HipHopUpdateSimilar Posts: Eminem Talks About 1st Single “We Made You” He’s [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten 1. Finally Here 2. Jump (feat. Nelly Furtado) 3. Gotta Get It (Dancer) 4. Shone Ft. Pleasure P 5. Right Round 6. R.O.O.T.S 7. Be On You (feat. Ne-Yo) 8. Mind On My Money 9. Available (feat. Akon) 10. Touch Me 11. Never 12. Sugar (feat. Wynter) 13. Rewind (feat. Wyclef) Via NappyAfro Overall Score: 2/5 Read the rest here Also, via Digital Spy Overall Score: 2/5 Also, Via AllMusic Overall Score: 3/5Similar Posts: Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Share: 1. Finally Here 2. Jump (feat. Nelly Furtado) 3. Gotta Get It (Dancer) 4. Shone Ft. Pleasure P 5. Right Round 6. R.O.O.T.S 7. Be On You (feat. Ne-Yo) 8. Mind On My Money 9. Available (feat. Akon) 10. Touch Me 11. Never 12. Sugar (feat. Wynter) 13. Rewind (feat. Wyclef) Via NappyAfro About a year [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten 1. Intro 2. Turnin Me On ft. Lil Wayne 3. Get Your Money Up ft. Keyshia Cole & Trina 4.. Return the Flavor ft. Timbaland 5.. Knock You Down ft. Ne-Yo & Kanye West 6. Slow Dance 7.. Make Love 8. Intuition 9. How Does It Feel 10. Alienated 11. Tell Him the Truth 12. Change 13. Energy 14. Where Did He Go Via DJ Booth Read The Rest Here Also Via Slant Magazine Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Share: 1. Intro 2. Turnin Me On ft. Lil Wayne 3. Get Your Money Up ft. Keyshia Cole & Trina 4.. Return the Flavor ft. Timbaland 5.. Knock You Down ft. Ne-Yo & Kanye West 6. Slow Dance 7.. Make Love 8. Intuition 9. How Does It Feel 10. Alienated 11. Tell Him the Truth 12. Change 13. Energy 14. Where Did He Go Via DJ Booth In my perfect world [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten R.I.P. Blender Magazine Via HipHopUpdate Ad pages at Blender also plunged 31% last year and another 57% from January through April, according to the Publishers Information Bureau and Media Industry Newsletter. Monthlies as a whole, by comparison, sank 12% last year and another 22% through April. Ad pages at Maxim fell 11% in 2008 and 37% from January through April. Similar Posts: R.I.P. Blender Magazine Via HipHopUpdate Alpha Media Group closed Blender magazine today, eliminating about 30 jobs and reducing its portfolio of titles to Maxim alone. The April issue of Blender out now will be its last. The decision, delivered to Blender staff in a meeting this morning, came as part of broader changes that also included the departure [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten Via DJ Booth Overall Score: 3 Spins - Average Read the rest here Also, track-by-track via NappyAfro Echo Produced by Drumma Boy Zoe uses the auto tune on this one…AGAIN! Damn, did Zoe sing this much before? What is funny is that he sounds like Akon on this song. How are you going to end the album on this note? Overall Score: 2/5Similar Posts: Digg, Facebook, Twitter, Share: Via DJ Booth The landscape of the music industry has shifted seismically in the last five years, and nowhere is this upheaval more prominent than in hip-hop. The rise of the internet and the explosion of the iPod have placed a premium on catchiness, allowing consumers to bypass bulky albums and buy only the songs that [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten Also, via All Hip Hop Overall Score: 6.5/10 ‘Grand Royal’ DJ Premier track = good times. Shit is fire. But you know that already, right? ‘Channel 10? blank stare* ‘You See Me!!!!’ Remember when NORE used to make good/amusing hooks? Yeah me too. Leak: Capone-N-Noreaga - Wobble Wobble (feat. Mobb Deep)Capone N Noreaga - The War Report (Original Samples)Music Video: Capone-N-Noreaga - Talk To Me (Big Tyme)I Know Rap People: Queens Edition With Capone-N-NoreagaJoe Budden: Padded Room (Reviews)B-Real - Smoke N Mirrors (Reviews)The-Dream: Love Vs Money (Reviews)Musiq Soulchild: On My Radio (Reviews)Plies: Da Realist (Reviews)Akon: Freedom (Reviews)   [read the full post]

By Carsten Via DJ Booth And if we’re talking about Cypress Hill, then we’re talking B-Real. Real formed the lyrical core of a group that’s sold over 18 million albums in their smoky history, and now that Hill has wrapped up their record deal with Sony he thought it’d be a good time to try his hand at a solo album. The result is the surprisingly complex and detailed Smoke N’ Mirrors, an album that uses its classic west coast riding roots to reveal the hip-hop game’s hidden mechanisms and tricks (and you thought smoke and mirrors was just a drug reference). Just in case you were sleeping on B-Real’s elite rap abilities, it’s time to wake up. Overall Score: 3.5/5 Read the rest here Also, via HipHopDX Overall Score: 3/5   [read the full post]

By Carsten He has hit the jackpot and does not have the pop appeal of the more polished Ne-Yo, whether in sound or image, so he should just attempt to make another “Bed,” collect a moderate amount of radio play for his effort, and fade into the background, right? A move possibly made in part after witnessing several artists attempt to make their own “Bed” (whether through enlisting the song’s writing/production team, the-Dream and Carlos McKinney, or approximating it with other studio hands), Holiday instead delivers a second album that is not a retread. It’s not a reinvention, either, but the roster of collaborators is almost completely different, and Holiday all but eliminates the tough guy and stoner talk. While the singer hardly sounded on ed...   [read the full post]

By Carsten Singer-songwriter Terius Nash, better known to most people these days as The-Dream, and best known for his 2007 hit “Shawty is a Ten” (aka “Shawty is the Sh*t”) is back with a new album, Love Vs. Money (released in the U.S. on March 10, 2009). And like his debut album, Love/Hate (short for Love Me All Summer, Hate Me All Winter), this album can be divided into two types of songs: pop-oriented, radio-friendly tracks and drama-filled relationship tunes. And on both albums, it’s the meaty stuff rather than the lightweight fluff that’s the most compelling and worth repeat listening. When it comes to vocal skills, Dream is something of a lightweight, and is very obviously influenced by two singers, Usher and (especially) R. Kelly. But despite his voc...   [read the full post]

By Carsten Diddy Says ‘Hip-Hop Is In A Recession’Diddy Biggie Blog #1 + New Notorious TrailerThe Auto Tune ExplosionNas works on an album with Damian MarleyDiddy Buys Enyce Clothing CompanyBusta Rhymes - Arab Money (Remix) (ft. Ron Browz, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, Akon & Lil Wayne)Jay-Z Taking Time With New AlbumDiddy Forced to Fly American Airlines Because of Gas Prices (video)How The Hell Did THIS Get In There??Steve Stoute Inducted Into Advertising Hall of Achievement Via Diddy.com I always love to see artists workin’ in the studio but what is this? Electro Pop? Auto-Tune Dance? The homie SK was right when he said Diddy’s style is in a recession…Similar Posts: Diddy Says ‘Hip-Hop Is In A Recession’ Diddy Biggie Blog #1 + New Notorious T...   [read the full post]

By Carsten Akon Doesn’t Know How Old He IsLeak: B-Real - Fire (feat. Damian Marley)Leak: The Game - Hustlers Dream (feat. Anthony Hamilton) + Enemy (feat. Wyclef Jean & Damian Marley) + Number One (All NO DJ)Saigon & Statik Selektah: An Album In 24 HoursJay-Z Taking Time With New AlbumNas Guests On ‘Detox’Kelis & Nas Expecting Their First ChildDiddy Says ‘Hip-Hop Is In A Recession’Mixed reviews on Nas’ latest album “Untitled”Kid Cudi News To built schools in Africa. MTV Shows Similar Posts: Akon Doesn’t Know How Old He Is Leak: B-Real - Fire (feat. Damian Marley) Leak: The Game - Hustlers Dream (feat. Anthony Hamilton) + Enemy (feat. Wyclef Jean & Damian Marley) + Number One (All NO DJ) Saigon & Statik Selektah: An Album In 24 Hours J...   [read the full post]

By Carsten MTV Shows Via Mixtape Monday Diddy doesn’t like the game right now. Not Game the rapper — the rap game. He’s going to experiment heavily on his new LP and thinks his peers should get onboard with his thinking. “Right now, I’m working on my record, and it’ll be out in the end of summer,” he told us [...]

By Carsten Some have accused Akon of trying to push back his age. But the singer, who was born in the United States but spent his early life in Senegal, where his family is from, says he never knew it. “I feel like I’m 21 right now,” he says. “And I’ll be 21 for the next 10 years.”Similar Posts: Akon Claims Responsibility For Current Hip Hop TrendsKanye West Speaks On 50 Cent’s DissesLet’s Talk With AkonHip-hop Singer Akon to Stand TrialAkon: Freedom (Reviews)Billboards Featured Artist: AkonThe Game - Gangsta Party feat. AkonT-Pain - Can’t Believe It (Konvict Remix) (feat. Akon & Kardinal Offishall)Akon - I’m So Paid f. Lil Wayne & Young JeezyBusta Rhymes - Arab Money (Remix) (ft. Ron Browz, Diddy, Swizz Beatz, T-Pain, Akon & Lil Wayne)   [read the full post]

By Carsten Chances are you will be hard pressed not to hear an Akon song on the radio at any given moment. The hip hop/R&B singer-songwriter and Grammy nominated record producer has literally been everywhere over the course of the last three years. Aside from his solo albums, Trouble and Konvicted, superstars such as Young Jeezy, Eminem, Gwen Stephani, and Snoop Dogg have reached out for his musical expertise. Now with a third solo album under his belt (the recently released Freedom), Akon is taking radio waves by storm. Being a successful artist, producer, label owner, and entrepreneur, Akon is extremely difficult to get a hold of. So when Akon’s label, SRC Records, asked me if I wanted an interview I simply could not refuse. Here’s what went down…   [read the full post]

By Carsten 1. Right Now (Na Na Na) 2. Beautiful (feat. Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishall) 3. Keep You Much Longer 4. Troublemaker (feat. Sweet Rush) 5. We Don’t Care 6. I’m So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne) 7. Holla Holla (feat. T-Pain) 8. Against The Grain (feat. Ray Lavender) 9. Be With You 10. Sunny Day (feat. Wyclef Jean) 11. Birthmark 12. Over The Edge 13. Freedom Also: Also: Via Blender Overall Score: 2.5/5 1. Right Now (Na Na Na) 2. Beautiful (feat. Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishall) 3. Keep You Much Longer 4. Troublemaker (feat. Sweet Rush) 5. We Don’t Care 6. I’m So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne) 7. Holla Holla (feat. T-Pain) 8. Against The Grain (feat. Ray Lavender) 9. Be With You 10. Sunny Day (feat. Wyclef Jean) 11. Birthmark 12. Over The Edge 13. [...]   [read the full post]

By Carsten There’s a reason Akon, born Aliaune Thiam, is wound up. The 34-year-old Senegal-born artist just completed his third album, “Freedom,” slated for a Dec. 2 release on Konvict/Upfront/SRC/Universal Records. “I’m so excited about this album. It’s a new phase for Konvict Music and I couldn’t have done it without all of you,” he tells the 30 staff members in the room. Read the rest here Via Billboard Holding a brick red velvet cupcake with white frosting and colored sprinkles in his hands, Akon stands atop an extended conference room table at Universal Records’ New York headquarters. He’s ecstatic. The singer/songwriter/producer, clad in a crisp, white button-up shirt; a black tie; vest; and jeans, and sporting perfectly rippled waves in his...   [read the full post]