Jay Z is steadily building up Roc Nation Sports to be just as lucrative as his other ventures, as he's just signed another athlete to the brand, bringing Todd Gurley of the Georgia Bulldogs on board yesterday (Jan 12).
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Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Mixtape of the Year – 2015 The Boombox Fan Choice Awards
Both newcomers and established artists took to the ‘nets to release free music through mixtapes in 2014. The competition for Mixtape of the Year for The Boombox Fan Choice Awards is a stacked one.
One of the most high-profile rappers to drop a project was Future, whose ‘Monster’ tape was filled with club bangers (‘F— Up Some Commas’) and plenty of Auto-Tune tracks.
Despite also releasing an album in 2014, Wiz Khalifa gave back to his fans with ’28 Grams.’ The less commercial effort found the Pittsburgh experimenting with collaborators like Metro Boomin’, Zaytoven and Sonny Digital. Another big-name release came courtesy of our friends at Cash Money Records. Under the Rich Gang umbrella, ‘Tha Tour, Pt. 1′ debuted featuring the likes of Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan alongside usual suspects like Birdman. With tracks like ‘Givenchy,’ Thugger is quickly becoming one of rap’s most-watched for 2015.
Speaking of songs named after fashion houses, since their hit ‘Versace,’ all eyes have been on Migos to release new music. The Atlanta trio dropped ‘No Label II’ and stuck to their comfort zone of rattling beats, Auto-Tune and hypnotic hooks.
One of the buzziest songs of the year was Dej Loaf‘s snarling ‘Try Me.’ The Detroit rapper capitalized on her heat by releasing the’Sell Sole’ mixtape. Shy Glizzy also enjoyed a catchy anthem with ‘Awwsome‘ and released two tapes in 2014: ‘Young Jefe’ and ‘Law 3,’ the latter with DJ Drama. Drama also makes another appearance on our list, helming Childish Gambino‘s ‘STN MNTN.’ Gambino flexes his skills and goes outside his usual nerd repertoire on this southern-influenced tape.
The South wasn’t the only region dominating mixtapes. Chicago’s Lil Bibby served up his ‘Free Crack 2′ while New Orleans’ Kevin Gates proved both melodic and menacing.
If there’s one tape true rap heads could unite over, it’s Slaughterhouse’s ‘House Rules.’ Rappers Royce Da 5’9”, Joe Budden, Kxng Crooked and Joell Ortiz traded bars over the sounds of beatmakers like Illmind, Harry Fraud, Nottz and Heatmakerz. ‘House Rules’ served as the teaser for the quartet’s anticipated sophomore release, ‘Glass House,’ in 2015.
Which project has your vote for Mixtape of the Year? Vote for the rapper you feel should take home The Boombox Fan Choice Award below. Remember you can vote once per hour until the poll closes on Feb. 16 at 10AM EST. If you need a refresher on each tape, check them out here.
Eminem Visits Cancer-Stricken Fan One Day Before His Passing (@eminem @royceda59)
While Eminem has been know to spit venom over the years, he clearly knows when to turn it off and on, as the Real Slim Shady recently paid a visit to a sick teen whose dying wish it was to meet the clever wordsmith before he passed away.
Fetty Wap vs. Lil Wayne – The Boombox Battle
Fetty Wap continues to hold it down with his third consecutive win in The Boombox Battle. He moved past Dipset in last week’s Battle, flying past the Harlem rappers with over 92 percent of the vote for his track, ‘Trap Queen.’
Hailing from Paterson, N.J., Fetty Wap’s ‘Trap Queen’ has been blowing up on the internet in many ways. With over 6 million listens on Soundcloud and more than 2.7 million views of the track’s video, the song has put Fetty on everyone’s radar and even landed him a deal with Lyor Cohen’s 300 Entertainment.
The mid-tempo tune showcases Fetty’s sing-song rapping approach and his songwriting skills, which feature him loving his girl, money and the bando.
“I’m like, ‘Hey, what’s up, hello’ / Seen yo pretty ass soon as you came in that door / I just wanna chill, got a sack for us to roll / Married to the money, introduced her to my stove / Showed her how to whip it, now she remixin’ for low / She my trap queen, let her hit the bando / We be countin’ up, watch how far them bands go,” he delivers on the first verse.
This week, the opponent is Lil Wayne and his new song ‘S—’ remix, off his new mixtape ‘Sorry 4 the Wait 2.’ The song, which was produced by Mike WiLL Made It and originally released by Future, finds Weezy showing off his lyrical prowess — he even sings a bit on this one. He shares his frustrations about the delay of ‘Tha Carter V’ and avoids any semblance of a hook, relying on pauses and the singing to make it an even stronger track.
“Yeah, you see what I’m saying like you heard what you see, I’m a verbal disease, I’m allergic to me / Been a turd on these streets since my curtains was sheets / Chef on these beats, I’m just stirring the grease / That bitch you in love with, she working for me,” he delivers.
Who will win this week? Will Fetty Wap be able to hold on to the crown for one more week and become the next artist to enter The Boombox Hall of Fame? Or will Wayne’s aggressive track blow away the competition? Now it’s up to you. Go vote for your favorite song in the poll below. Remember, you can vote once per hour until the poll closes on Tues., Jan. 20, at 10AM ET.
Watch Fetty Wap’s ‘Trap Queen’ Video
Listen to Lil Wayne’s ‘S—’ Remix
Rules of The Boombox Battle
Two artists and their respective songs compete against each other each week. The triumphant artist goes on to compete in the next The Boombox Battle. If an artist wins The Boombox Battle four times consecutively, their song will be honored in The Boombox Battle Hall of Fame.
Nike Air Trainer SC II Low 'Medicine Ball'
The Nike Air Trainer 3 isn’t the only trainer that is playing host to Nike‘s infamous ‘Medicine Ball’ motif. The Nike Air Trainer SC II Low joins in on the fun also and it holds the colorway just as well as the OG.
For this version of the sneaker, tanned leather is greeted with navy accents in a very well-blended manner. Set against a bed of white grain leather, the milky white on the outsole, laces and heel is a very interesting choice that pays off in spades.
Don’t go running out to your local retailer just yet; these aren’t set to release until sometime next month. We aren’t sure what their availability will be like but February is really shaping up to be a massive month for releases.
[Via Nikeblog]
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