Hahahaha, are you kidding me? This is why Kanye’s the man. Just in time for the Olympic track and field events, ‘Ye drops a web video for “Champion” off Graduation. Another workout classic. This is probably the only time we’ll see Lil’ Yeezy, but I’d love for this to spawn some sort of Lil’ Penny-esque series (“I know my spot fool!“). We’ll see.
Spotted at Yeezy’s.
“It’s unfortunate that I have to cut a record telling the truth, at least in my opinion, about my own country and the corrupt ways it is being ran. However, on that note I want to let all the soldiers representing our country know, thank you for protecting us and may God bless you all.” – Pitbull
Pitbull hops on Estelle’s “American Boy” and drops some poignant, real life ish about war. I’ve always thought Pitbull could rhyme, and I’d love to see him start doing more stuff like this. Not even necessarily political tracks, but just something with a little more substance than the typical Miami club music he pumps out.
Swiped from SDSU.
(if you aren’t aware, that’s the CRS sign on the left)
I was a little worried when some behind the scenes footage of this video leaked and they were just performing in front of a green screen. That puts all the pressure on the animators/editors in post production, but for the “Everyone Nose (Remix)” video, I think they nailed it. Oh, and everytime I hear this track, P-to-the-Usha’s verse stands out more and more. He killed it with that flow.
Courtesy of OnSmash.
It’s that time! My man Emilio Rojas (formerly known as Raks-One) just dropped a video for his new cut, “That Time,” featuring production by M-Phazes (“good gracious!”) and cuts from DJ Ease. Dope ish. Be on the lookout for Emilio’s upcoming project, The Nouveau Slick, and a joint project from him and Phazes, aptly titled Phaze One. Download “That Time” below:
I’ve been meaning to make this post ever since Euro 2008 started and I watched my Swedish brethren (I was this close to having a Swedish first name, apparently “Torsten”…whew) play like bitches and fail to advance past the 1st round. A little bit before that, The Fader featured a great article on indie-pop’s next big thing, Swedish singer Lykke Li (pronounced “lickee lee”). I’d heard bits and pieces of her music before (shout to The Exactly for being one of the first hip-hop sites to feature her), but that article inspired me to check her out in full. She released her debut album earlier this year, Youth Novels, and as expected, she’s dope as hell. Y’all need to get familiar.
Sweden’s been a surprising hot spot for quality pop music over the years (this was my jam back in middle school, I ain’t ashamed), thanks in part to a refreshing respect the Swedes have for the genre. In essence, it’s a lot less disposable over there than we treat it here, and Lykke displays that in her music. While the on the surface, it embodies that traditional playful pop vibe, there’s also a deeper emotional level in the way she sings about heartbreak and disappointment. She’s not outwardly sexy like our stars aim to be, but there’s something sultry about her style and her voice when she sings lines like “…and for you I keep my legs apart/and forget about my tainted heart.” Damn…and that’s just on the single, “Little Bit.” Perhaps it’s the Scandinavian blond thing, but I feel like her stuff sounds like what Scarlett Johansson wishes she could make (when she’s not covering Tom Waits). Anyway, peep her first two videos and download the mp3’s:
Lykke Li – “I’m Good, I’m Gone”
You have to love Swedish people…I mean, really.
Hit the jump to watch some other ridiculously cool performances and download a ton of bonus tracks/remixes. I’ll toss in a few of my favorite cuts off Youth Novels too. I don’t want to post the whole thing, but if you want to check it out, shoot me an email and you might get a present back in return. DJHyphen@gmail.com.
(did I see John Legend making 2 quick cameos in there?)
Now this is the kind of single we need on the airwaves. Saw this on OnSmash and was gonna hold off on posting because it’s got an awful hiss in the audio, but I figured I’d forget if I waited a few days. Besides, it’s dope as hell to see this kind of message coming from top tier artists. See Luda, that’s how you do it. Although, I did have to chuckle at Mary as the community organizer, but it’s still cool. You know she couldn’t wait to rhyme “drama” with “Obama” too…that’s right in her wheelhouse.
Here’s the mp3, without Drama’s completely unnecessary intro, for y’all if you need it:
Damn, I thought Shawn Jackson had a surprising number of videos off of one project when he dropped his 4th last week, but this is like the 7th from Cons’ last album. Apparently his grind has paid off nicely cause the sales numbers for Don’t Quit Your Day Job are pretty impressive for a project of that size. The song features his G.O.O.D. Music cohorts, GLC and Really Doe, along with cameos from all sorts of dope artists.
Sidenote: I wonder if the Pomona that GLC mentions is supposed to be the one in Cali. If so, that brings back classic college memories…like the time in 2004 when Tunji told GLC his haircut sucked, almost leading to a physical altercation. His most famous verse up to that point was on Kanye’s “Heavy Hitters” joint and included a line saying “mmhmm, mmhmm, NAW, your hair sucks!” (classic delivery btw). Luckily he remembered and figured out the reference, but not before giving Tunj the ultimate screwface. Good times.
Swiped from Consequence’s blog.
The homies over at The Lupe Fiasco Show are giving aspiring music video directors an opportunity to get some shine, along with all sorts of cool prizes. Go here for the complete rules, but basically, if you make a video for either “Gotta Eat,” “Just Might Be Okay,” or “And He Gets The Girl,” and you win, you’ll be featured on Lupe’s official website and get a bunch of autographed goodies. So be creative, break out Final Cut Pro, and get busy…
Oh, and I don’t know if I’d recommend tackling “And He Gets The Girl,” unless you think you can top this web video some kid made a while back. If you think you can, show and prove. Good luck.
“I’m sending you some text messages/
But you can call ’em sex messages/
And IDK when I’ll be there/
But I’ll TTY later and we’ll be loving ASAP/
And we can XOXO”
–Raheem DeVaughn, “Text Messages”
Raheem is the man, but the hook on this joint just makes me cringe. He should leave these kinds of metaphors to Kells.
(LOL @ that 2 handed block)
Damn, 4 videos from an underground album? I ain’t mad at that at all. New visuals for two Shawn Jackson tracks, both featuring Ty from Ty & Kory. Mp3 below for “Go There With You” courtesy of Universoul Productions, videos for both swiped from 2 Dope Boyz. Peep “Soopafly” after the jump.