A New Album from Tech N9ne and Kendrick Lamar's Busy Week

Tech N9ne has announced May 5 as the projected release date for his next studio album, Special Effects. Additionally, the rapper from Kansas City has revealed the cover art and news of an upcoming tour.

Image Credit: hiphopdx.com

Tech N9ne is preparing his follow-up to 2013's Something Else for release next month, and today we've been given the official tracklist for the impending project. Like his last album, Special Effects will feature a large range of guests, but this time he's taken the star factor up a notch, recruiting Eminem, Lil Wayne, T.I., Yo Gotti, E-40, 2 Chainz, B.o.B, Audio Push and more for the LP. Of course, some underground favorites will also get prime billing, with Hopsin, Zuse, Krizz Kaliko, Big Scoob, and Corey Taylor also lined up for features.

Tech N9ne's tweet and Instagram post about his Eminem collaboration are as follows:

​

Kendrick Lamar’s whirlwind week continues: The morning after debuting his video for “King Kunta” on a billboard in Times Square, Lamar appeared on the Power 105 radio show The Breakfast Club today (April 3) and discussed potential new music with Dr. Dre. Watch the complete interview below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLMYGjngqmk

“If I could speak on it, then I would, but that man is a scientist,” Lamar said during the interview. He also said that they’re strategically holding out records because it’s a thing that they’re waiting on, according to Complex.

This new material would be far from the duo’s first collaboration: Dr. Dre was the executive producer of Lamar’s 2012 album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, which developed into a personal relationship between the two.

“In the first studio session, we clicked so crazy,” Lamar said in 2013. “It was more like a uncle-nephew kind of vibe. Because everybody sees Dre as just a gangsta rapper, but he shares the same story that I have, a good kid in a mad city. When we sit in the studio, we talk about these different streets that we both lived on and experiences he had that I can relate to being two generations younger.”

​

Kendrick Lamar is throwing out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium on April 27th. The Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed the news on social media. The MLB team acknowledged that they liked the LA Dodgers hat Lamar wore in his “King Kunta” music video. “Really diggin’ that lid, @kendricklamar. See you April 27 for your first pitch,” the Dodgers wrote on Twitter.

Lamar seems to be on top of the world, not only is he throwing out the first pitch at a Dodgers’ game, but he just revealed he’s engaged to his high school sweetheart Whitney Alford. The rapper told Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club that the engagement accusations were true. “Yeah definitely [the rumors are true]. I’m loyal to the soil. At the end of the day, you want to always have real people around you. Whether male or female,” Lamar told the radio station.

The rapper also just disclosed that he and Prince recorded a song together last year. Lamar told WQHT’s Hot 97 that the collaboration took place when he took part in Prince’s Paisley Park live stream in Minnesota. The two went into the recording studio, but they couldn’t finish the song because of time constraints. Although Lamar and Prince didn’t complete the record, the rapper said the legend gave him a lot of great advice during their time together. Lamar told MTV that he really appreciated the knowledge Prince gave him, and he was told valuable information that he needed to consider in his career.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

Eminem Gets Genius Verified. Plus Kendrick Lamar's New Video For "King Kunta."

Will the real annotator please stand up!

Image Credit: www.americansongwriter.com

Well, if you haven't heard by now Slim Shady, also known as Eminem has added his own mental genius to the infamous lyric page---rap genius.com. With lyrics quoted from Nicki Minaj and many other artists, this site is known for the legitimacy of lyric interpretation. If you have ever felt a little confused about your favorite artist verse, then this is definitely the place to go for assurance. Dr. Dre's companion has taken it upon himself to interpret his own lyrics. As apposed to the typical third-party lyricist, he takes you through a journey of his lyrical flow and career to break down bits and pieces of his songs on the popular site. Going into depth about his name, brand, and music the annotations can be located on Eminem's profilepage.

 

It is funny that Dr. Dre was mentioned becausehe is apparently linked to two phenomenons.

Image Credit: www.rapdirect.net

Beats By Dre and K. Dot premiered the official King Kunta video right in Times Square, New York City! While his hit album has been recognized for landing a spot on the billboard 200, he mentions that his album entitled To Pimp A Butterfly was initially entitled, "TU Pimp A Caterpillar." with respects to the late Tupac Shakur. In conclusion, Shady is not the only one dropping some knowledge and giving us clarity! If these two artists have nothing else in common besides the things that are "for the record" we can all agree that they are pretty legendary.

 

-Alexis J. Robinson

 

 

Kendrick Lamar Surprises LA Fans With A Mobile Concert

"How To Pimp A Butterfly" artist Kendrick Lamar ran into about five thousand runners for a mobile concert. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Notjustanoutfit.com

The Compton native pulled up to the Melrose Avenue after-party to perform for the launching of Reebok’s latest Z pump fusion shoe. After an adrenaline filled run down Sunset Boulevard of LA, the participants were able to simmer down at an after-party at the brand’s lounge. There, the Reebok partner gave his finest performance, and stopped by for a few interviews. Back in the fall of 2014, December to be exact---Reebok announced a partnership with the King Kendrick, to help launch the Ventilator 25th Anniversary Campaign. To promote the campaign to its fullest potential, Reebok premiered a documentary video entitled “I Am” to give perspective on Kendrick’s childhood and growth to stardom. 

Reebok inspired Kendrick since his younger days, according to his interview with hiphopdx.com. With all of his inspirations coming from life, wisdom, and growing old hopefully the audience was granted the opportunity to endure a gist of his “ventilation” and inspiration through his phenomenal performance. 

-Alexis J. Robinson

Kendrick Lamar's 'To Pimp A Butterfly' Making Huge Headlines

In Kendrick Lamar's still-young reign as one of hip-hop's leading voices, he's tackled institutionalized racism, black self-love, addiction and the evils of materialism. Kendrick Lamar shared the cover of his new album To Pimp A Butterfly on Instagram. It's bold, and it fits with everything Lamar has shared from the album, which is a bombshell of political and social criticism.

To Pimp a Butterfly was expected to drop on March 23, but K Lamar doesn’t play by the rules. 

The 16-track album opens with "Wesley's Theory," featuring George Clinton and Thundercat, and there's collabs with the likes of Bilal, Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, James Fauntleroy, Ronald Isley and Rapsody. Lamar had already shared two new songs, "The Blacker the Berry" and "King Kunta," both of which appear on the album.

"To Pimp a Butterfly" tracklist

1. Wesley's Theory (feat. George Clinton & Thundercat)

2. For Free? (Interlude)

3. King Kunta

4. Institutionalized (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Snoop Dogg)

5. These Walls (feat. Bilal, Anna Wise & Thundercat)

6. U

7. Alright

8. For Sale? (Interlude)

9. Momma

10. Hood Politics

11. How Much a Dollar Cost (feat. James Fauntleroy & Ronald Isley)

12. Complexion (A Zulu Love) [feat. Rapsody]

13. The Blacker the Berry

14. You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said)

15. i

16. Mortal Man

Kendrick Lamar is quickly becoming one of the most unique and influential rappers right now. His music conveys some of the most powerful messages that the music listeners have heard in a while. Although he is still a relatively new artist, he has made quite the mark in society, hiphop especially. 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

We've Been Missing You. 18 Years Later, Biggie's Legacy Lives On Forever

Christopher Wallace was tragically shot and killed in Los Angeles on March 9, 1997, his murder still remains unsolved.

​

Image Credit: xxlmag.com

Dead at 24 years old, his career spanned only five years but his two albums, Ready to Die and Life After Death left an impact on not just hip hop, but the world. His style and grace, his personality and compassion impacted people and still is respected all over the world.

Celebrities and fans took to Twitter to pay tribute to legend. 

​Kendrick Lamar delivered a freestyle over his Ready to Die track “The What”.

while making an appearance on Big Boy’s new Real 92.3 radio show as the DJ’s first guest. “This here’s what it is,I came in this game,” he spits early on. “I stuck my fingers in this game/ I wore no chain in this game/ My hood, my name in this game/Now I double up / Time to bubble up the bread and huddle up.” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui0SmXGGm5M

The Ten Crack Commandments, Kick In The Door, Juicy, Hypnotize, Warning, One More Chance, Party and Bullshit are just some of his classics. During his career, Biggie made timeless music that has heavy influence on rappers to this day. 

In his hometown of Brooklyn, members of B.I.G.’s crew got together to pay homage to hip-hop legend. Biggie’s ex-wife and R&B singer Faith Evans, his daughter T’yanna Wallace, Lil Cease, Jadakiss, Sheek Louch gathered on-stage to run through a few hits featuring B.I.G. like Lil Kim’s “Crush On You,” and The Lox’s tribute cut “Letter to B.I.G.,” with Faith Evans.

Watch the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhoy3_IUPnQ

We miss you Biggie! 

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

New Music from Kendrick Lamar, Cam'ron and Joell Ortiz

Kendrick Lamar announced on Twitter that he has a new album coming out. 

On March 23, he’ll release a new collection of 16 songs that includes his most recent track, “The Blacker the Berry.” The record doesn’t have a title (it’s just listed as [Untitled]) nor does it have a proper cover. The 16-track album is called  is now available to pre-order on iTunes. Noticeably, his Grammy-winning anthem "I" is not shown on the tracklist.

Image Credit: wn.com

Lamar debuted a new song on The Colbert Report in December. The new album is a follow-up to his 2012 major-label debut Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City. That's all the info we have now, as it looks like the cover art is just a black square and no tracklist has been shared yet. Let the rest of the speculation begin now, but at least we have some information. 

Cam’ron’s got a busy 2015 ahead of himself, and it’ll likely culminate with his new album Purple Haze 2.

Image Credit: hiphopearly.com

“I’m getting ready to go on tour in March and April for the Diplomat tour. Then in May, Cam’ron by himself is going overseas,” Killa told Revolt, speaking in third person. “Then I start shooting ‘Percentage 2′ and ’3′ in June and July. Then at the end of July the Diplomat album coming out, then I’ll start working on Purple Haze 2 for this December.”

Like many of his fans, Cam has a special place in his heart for Purple Haze.“My favorite album that I ever recorded, it would probably be Purple Haze," he revealed. "I was staying out here, I was staying in Chicago at that time. I was staying in Ohio. I was back in New York, I was all over the place so I got to see a bunch of different cultures. I always travel but I never sat down in one other state for more than two, three weeks. I was living in Chicago for three years. I was living in Ohio for five years. Just meeting different people from parts of the United States while I was doing that album was pretty dope."

As he has been hinting on his social media accounts, Joell Ortiz has some new music in the works too. Despite saying that he would be falling back from the rap game, Tony Yayo enlists Ortiz and Uncle Murda for a track that pays homage to his hometown of New York City. He also has been in the studio with eminem as shown in eminem's Instagram post.

Christine O'Connor

@christineeeeO

The 57th Grammy Awards Review

The 57th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday were a mixture of old songs, new faces and upsets, as Sam Smith, a 22-year-old British singer barely known to American audiences a year ago, won three of the top four prizes, and Beck became the dark-horse victor of album of the year.

Kendrick Lamar and Eminem split the four rap trophies. Mr. Lamar, a fast-rising young star who had walked away empty-handed last year, took best performance and song this year for “I.” Eminem won best rap album for “The Marshall Mathers LP 2” and shared best rap/sung collaboration with Rihanna, for “The Monster.”

Kanye West, dressed in a velvety red jumpsuit and a thin gold chain, was barely illuminated by a low spotlight as he sang “Only One,” his voice warped by electronics. 

Among the night’s other big winners, Pharrell Williams took home three prizes: “Happy” won best music video and, in a live version, best pop solo performance, while his “G I R L” won best urban contemporary album.

Image Credit: hiphopmyway.com

Beyoncé,  had been up for a total of six awards, also won three: best R&B performance and R&B song, for “Drunk in Love,” and best surround sound album, for “Beyoncé.”

Accepting the award for best R&B performance, Beyoncé thanked God and her husband, Jay Z, who appears on the track. But she made sure to thank her fans as well, with whom she keeps in constant contact through social media.

“I’d like to say thank you to my Beyhive,” she said. “Thank you guys for riding so hard.”

Image Credit: extratv.com

Some of the highlights definitely were Beyonce‘s tribute to the movie Selma alongside John Legend. The best performances came last. Beyoncé capped a ceremony that wasn't short on social commentary with a gospel song that was a favorite of Martin Luther King Jr. She ended her rendition introducing Legend and Common, who found inspiration for Glory in King and today's protests — and who performed, indeed, gloriously, accompanied by a full string section and choir.

Perhaps searching for a new twist on a song that seems to never go away, Pharrell performed his hit "Happy" and inserted an international flavor and weirdly dark tone, reinforced by Lang Lang's dissonant piano solo a couple of minutes in. But the choruses remained upbeat while the orchestra members wore yellow.

Superstars Rihanna, Kanye West, and Paul McCartney performed "FourFiveSeconds" with no flash, no one trying to upstage the others. Add some buoyant harmonies, and you have a refreshingly simple and truly rousing number.

One unexpected stir brought some drama to the stage. As Prince (dressed in an incredible bedazzled orange jumpsuit in all his glory) announced Beck’s “Morning Phase” as the winner of Album of the Year, Kanye West jumped on stage to protest the surprising win.  The whole world held its breath for the microsecond when the rapper lunged towards Beck, anticipating another Taylor Swift moment.

But instead of jumping to Beyoncé’s defense (which would have been justifiable — her self-titled album was incredible), Kanye stepped back. A surprised Beck begged Kanye to come back on stage (likely in agreement that he didn’t deserve the award), but Yeezy joined his jilted friends back in the audience. The three-second interaction felt like a million years, and the result was the most hilariously awkward moment of the night.

Article by: Christine O'Connor

Twitter: @christineeeeO

Dr. Dre Finds His Latest Rap Protege In Texas

Image Credit: hiphopdx.com

​

There's no denying that Dr. Dre has possibly one of the best ears for new talent. He has signed hiphop icons like Snoop Dogg and Eminem,  but Dr. Dre has another asset to show off. The multi-millionaire entrepreneur, co-founder of N.W.A and hiphop mastermind has found a new protege; 23-year-old Garland, Texas native Justin Mohrle.

It turns out the newcomer in 2012 released 21: Live Forever, a free mixtape under the name Love, JT, which apparently was "highly regarded among Dallas hip-hop fans" but fell through the cracks.

Mohrle was then introduced to Dr. Dre through former Death Row Records artist (and fellow Texan) The D.O.C. who, as part of a team, produced a demo EP on the new artist to pitch to Dr. Dre. Mohrle reportedly signed a 360-degree deal with D.O.C.'s entertainment company Silverback.

When we hear from him next, he'll likely be known as Justin Night, seeing as Justin Timberlake has JT on lock. But only time will tell if his career will be more like Kendrick Lamar than Stat Quo's. 

Look out for this young star on the rise!  

The Return of King Kendrick! Kendrick Spits a Crazy Freestyle on Hot97, Drops a New Single, and more.

Image Credit: allhiphop.com

The rap beast is back at it again and he’s coming strong and fast. Kendrick Lamar shook the game up with his verse on Big Sean’s "Control" back in August of last year. It heated things up as he proclaimed himself “the best” and almost begged for competition, calling out several of the game’s current top dogs, ie: J Cole, Wale, Meek Mill and Drake. Many rappers responded, but none of the ones he named.

In a nasty Hot 97.1 FM freestyle with Funk Master Flex on September 18, the "B---h Don’t Kill My Vibe" rapper went in. In one half of his freestyle, listeners re-visited the fire of the same undefeatable, hungry energy Kendrick gave us on "Control."

Kendrick rapped:

I’m sparring with a dragon, he tried to throw a flame but I ducked and then I stabbed him. Came out the battle laughing. That’s a metaphor for any rapper who want it, I smack ‘em til they nose running..

The Compton rapper has been fairly under the radar since the release of his controversial verse on Control, but I think we all knew he was cooking up his next pot of gold! Not much of Kendrick’s perspective has changed (as you can see from the lyrics above) concerning what spot he solidifies when it comes to rap—and that’s the top spot. He’s still welcoming or daring rather, any rap guy to try him. However in a recent interview with Big Boy, Kendrick says that hip-hop is a sport, it’s all love between him and the guys. He even mentioned and that he respects them all as people and creators.

Kendrick also dedicated some bars of his Hot 97 freestyle to story-telling in which he recalls some Compton tales, mentioning his dad’s disquiet of him staying out the streets and of course his Uncle Tony is referenced —“Comprehending well and could smell the soberness evaporating by itself he said Tony my biggest fear is to hear Kendrick disappeared in a fire out here and I didn’t help.”

Five days after the freestyle aired he dropped his first single since his debut album Good Kid m.A.A.d City. The track is titled “i” with a reoccurring line “I love Myself”. Leave it Kendrick to force us to address the real ish. He delves into the idea that it’s impossible to love outside if we don’t love ourselves. He does this with uncountable bars graced by a beat you wouldn’t automatically tie to a hip-hop tune. There is speed then there’s rest, drums and horns. It makes you want to dance and think at the same time. Tough tune. But what did we really expect. He’s Kendrick.

True to his Compton roots he finds a way to incorporate an uplifting message for his home town into his cover art for the single. He put a crip and a blood forming a heart sign together instead of a gang sign—another way to spark conversation and change.

Instagram: @KendrickLamar

You can expect his new project to be 100% K.Dot. In an interview with AMP Radio he revealed that he has been making it a point to minimize his musical influence while he’s creating. He wants to go in and organically lay down tracks that have not been impressed by the expectations of outsiders.

I guess we'll have to stay tune for more from King Kendrick!

By: Tina Louise (Twitter: @TinaLouiseMe)

Edited by: Brittany C. Jackson (@xPlatinumChanel)

BET Announces 2014 Hip Hop Awards Nominees

Image Credit: BET Networks (BET.com)

Who's got next up in the cypher? It's time to hold it down for the real emcees! On September 4, BET revealed the list and nominees for their 2014 Hip Hop Awards. From the look of things, the Young Money brother and sister duo will be taking over the scene. Drake leads the pack with eight nominations while Nicki Minaj follows behind him with five. Jay Z , Pharrell, and Future  each racked up six nominations a piece. But what really caught my eye is the fierce competition between Drizzy, Future, Iggy Azalea, Wiz Khalifa and YG for the "People's Champ Award." With all those heavy-hitters in one category, I can only imagine who's going to come out on top.

You can check out who takes home the goldon October 14 at 8/7c  when the legendary Snoop Dogg returns to the big screen as the host of the event. 

Check out all the awards and nominees in its entirety below: 

Best Hip-Hop Video: Drake – “Worst Behavior,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX – “Fancy,” J. Cole f/ TLC – “Crooked Smile,” Nicki Minaj – “Pills N Potions” & Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz.”

Best Collabo, Duo or Group: Eminem f/ Rihanna – “The Monster,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Jay Z f/ Justin Timberlake – “Holy Grail,” ScHoolboy Q f/ BJ The Chicago Kid – “Studio” & YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta.”

Best Live Performer: Drake, Jay Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar & T.I.

Lyricist of the Year: Drake, Eminem, J. Cole, Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar & Nicki Minaj.

Video Director of the Year: Benny Boom, Chris Robinson, Director X, Dre Films & Hype Williams

DJ of the Year: DJ Drama, DJ Envy, DJ Khaled, DJ Mustard & DJ Scream.

Producer of the Year: DJ Mustard, Drumma Boy, Hit-Boy, Mike WiLL Made It, Pharrell & Timbaland.

MVP of the Year: DJ Mustard, Drake, Future, Jay Z & Nicki Minaj.

Track of the Year: “Cut Her Off (Remix)” – Produced by Will-A-Fool (K Camp f/ Lil Boosie, YG & Too $hort), “Move That Doh” – Produced by Mike WiLL Made It (Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino), “My Hitta” – Produced by DJ Mustard (YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan), “Studio” – Produced by Swiff D (ScHoolboy Q f/ BJ The Chicago Kid) & “Worst Behavior” – Produced by DJ Dahi (Drake).

Album of the Year: Drake – Nothing Was the Same, Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Future – Honest, Rick Ross – Mastermind, ScHoolboy Q – Oxymoron & Yo Gotti – I Am.

Who Blew Up Award: Iggy Azalea, Migos, Rich Homie Quan, ScHoolboy Q, YG & Young Thug.

Hustler of the Year: Dr. Dre, Drake, Jay Z, Rick Ross & T.I.

Made-You-Look Award (Best Hip-Hop Style): A$AP Rocky, Jay Z, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj & Young Thug.

Best Hip Hop Online Site: AllHipHop.com,Complex.com, HotNewHipHop.com,NecoleBitchie.com, RapRadar.com &WorldStarHipHop.com

Best Club Banger: Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh” (Produced by Mike WiLL Made It), K Camp f/ Lil Boosie, YG & Too $hort – “Cut Her Off” (Remix) (Produced by Will-A-Fool), Migos – “Fight Night” (Produced by Stack Boy Twaun), Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz” (Produced by Detail), YG f/ Jeezy & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta” (Produced by DJ Mustard) &Young Thug – “Stoner” (Produced by Dun Deal).

Best Mixtape: Action Bronson – Blue Chips 2, Fabolous – The Soul Tape 3, Migos – No Label 2, Rich Homie Quan – I Promise I Will Never Stop Going In & Wiz Khalifa – 28 Grams.

Sweet 16: Best Featured Verse: B.o.B – “Paranoid” (Ty Dolla $ign f/ B.o.B), B.o.B – “Up Down” (Do This All Day) (T-Pain f/ B.o.B), Drake – “Who Do You Love” (YG f/ Drake), Kendrick Lamar – “Control” (Big Sean f/ Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica) & Pharrell – “Move That Doh” (Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino)

Impact Track: Common f/ Vince Staples – “Kingdom,” Lecrae – “Nuthin,” Lupe Fiasco – “Mission,” The Roots f/ Patty Cash – “Never” & Talib Kweli f/ Abby Dobson – “State of Grace”

People’s Champ Award: Drake – “Worst Behavior,” Future f/ Pharrell, Pusha T & Casino – “Move That Doh,” Iggy Azalea f/ Charli XCX – “Fancy,” Wiz Khalifa – “We Dem Boyz”  & YG f/ Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill & Rich Homie Quan – “My Hitta” (Remix)

— Brittany C. Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

Kendrick Lamar Rightfully Snags The 2014 August/ September Cover of Complex Magazine

Image Credit: Complex Magazine Twitter (@ComplexMag)

Photography By: Coleman and B+ for Mochilla.com

After transitioning from an underground king to a mainstream sensation with the release of his 2012 debut studio album good kid m A. A. d city ,Kendrick Lamar quickly took hold of the Hip Hop game with full force. The Compton native, known to be quick at the tongue with hard-hitting lyrics, has had one hell of a come-up. His debut album brought deep lyrical metaphors to the ears of Hip Hop lovers from every walk of life and soon went on to be deemed of a gold status by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Being that K.Dot is not one to sit around and hold his tongue, it seems very unusually that the rapper has been keeping a low-profile. After suffering a couple of 2014 Grammys snubs, critics were quick to believe that Kendrick just went in hiding. Of course that was too good to be true from a rapper who wasn’t afraid to call out his fellow rappers in the game on his verse in Big Sean’s “Control” track to heat up some much needed competition in the Hip Hop kitchen.

Well Complex Magazine has got the scope and the reasoning behind Kendrick’s chill-out session is some jaw-dropping news! While shooting with K.Dot for the cover of their August/September 2014 issue, Kendrick opened up about working vigorously on his sophomore studio album.

Kendrick told Complex Magazine:

"If I keep focusing on, ‘I need to make something better than good kid,’ it’s going to be just that. That’s not challenging yourself. I don’t want to become that person reflecting on what has been done. What I’m doing now is the question. I’m only as good as my last word, my last hook, my last bridge."

Even Hip Hop game-changers like rap legend Nas told Complex Magazine that he’s psyched about what Kendrick is about to kick up in his follow-up album.

"Kendrick shook up the rap game, so anticipation for his second offering is through the roof.Kendrick’s an album guy and the album artist has a whole different kind of value. Kendrick is going to be one of the most important writers of our time; dude’s a rhyming animal. Whatever he does will be appreciated, but at the same time he knows he has to bring it."

K.Dot looks to be extremely focused on that Complex cover. Hopefully, that intensity will get all rallied up in to his sophomore album so he can rightfully claim his throne once again.

Check out more on Kendrick Lamar’s cover story  at Complex.com.

-Brittany C. Jackson

Eminem announces The Monster Tour, with Rihanna, coming this summer!!!!

Thats right, Eminem is finally back! After his international tour with Kendrick Lamar & J Cole, Marshall will be heading back to the U.S. for a 3 city stadium tour in August! He will be hitting a stage, in centerfield, in Los Angeles, Detroit, and New York this summer with Rihanna.

Em's last U.S. tour, the "Home and Home Tour," was back in 2010 along with Jay-Z, where he headlined Comerica Park & Hov headlined Yankee Stadium. 

Incase you're wondering, tickets are NOT on sale yet. It has not been announced yet WHICH stadiums the greatest rapper of ALL time will be doing, but judging by his 2010 tour, (which I attended) it's sure going to be an epic, historic night in each city. Attending Em's concerts for almost 15 years now, he has never left me disappointed or regretting spending the CRAZY amounts of money I paid to see him. It truly is an indescribable feeling, from the first second he starts, til the very end.

As far as the New York City show, I'm thinking he might decide to switch it up, and do Citi Field. Either way, I WILL be there, and when the tickets sell out IMMEDIATELY, and a second (and maybe 3rd) show is announced, I'll be there as well. 

If you haven't, or even if you HAVE been lucky enough to catch the Rap God in concert, make sure u don't miss this one. It might be your last chance. This might be his last run. If it's not, the next time he plans to tour again MIGHT not be for a while. 

So, with that said, again....make sure you grab your tickets when they go on sale. It will be slightly impossible, so I recommend StubHub as a second option. If you are looking to save some dough, wait a day before the concert, or even a few hours before, as the prices will likely drop. 

By:: Dana P. (Blog Owner/Editor in Chief)

Hip Hop almost NON Existent at the Grammys, Robinson Cano in attendance, and more.

Via the official Instagram of Beyoncé.

The 54th annual Grammy awards has slapped the hip hop industry right in the face, this past Sunday night.

While LL Cool J hosted the show, along with a show opening performance by Beyoncé (later followed by a little help from Jay-Z), the Grammy's went on to prove that it is nothing more then a glorified, Pop/Rock Music Award Show. Jay-Z won the award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, for his hit "Holy Grail" featuring Justin Timberlake, amongst a few other awards throughout the night. Unfortunately, that's where the night ended for Hip Hop (other then an outstanding performance by Kendrick Lamar.)

Pop artist Macklemore, won the Grammy for Best Rap Album, along with Best Rap Song, Best Rap Performance, and Best New Artist. After the show, Macklemore sent a text message to Kendrick, stating that Kendrick had gotten "robbed" of the Best Rap Album category. Okay, so if that's how you're REALLY feeling, then give him the Grammy! Kendrick DID get robbed and he absolutely deserved to win for all his hard work & struggle! 

Via the official Instagram of Macklemore.

Via the official Instagram of Robinson Cano.

Robinson Cano posted a picture on Instagram, sitting with Beyoncé and Jay-Z. I'm gonna say, since Robbie signed with Roc Nation Sports, his ego has gone through the roof. Cano seems to think he's a "super celebrity" now! I wonder if this "signing with Roc Nation Sports" trend, is going to effect CC's persona. Honestly, I wouldn't expect anything less then his normal self. A respectful athlete, who appreciates the organization he works for.  

Next years Grammys should be interesting. Judging by this year, it's looking like Hip Hop is gonna have less & less impact, year by year in the future. 

By:: Dana P. (Blog Owner/Editor in Chief)