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Saturday, May 2, 2015
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Nike LeBron 12 NSW Lifestyle Blue Suede
When it’s all said and done, LeBron James’ legacy will be as much about sneakers as it is about basketball. The hungry young player launches tiers of shoes every year and one of his more under-appreciated models comes from his Nike Lifestyle line.
The Nike LeBron 12 NSW Lifestyle is rebooted here in a tonal colorway that feels supremely luxurious and definitely fit for a king. Blue suede lines the upper and gold logos are lasered in to keep things majestic. The pull-tab displays the words “Letter of Intent,” which usually refers to a student athlete’s commitment to a college, but we all know LeBron skipped that step and went straight to the NBA.
That little tidbit of information and more will hopefully be explained further upon their May 1 release. You’ll be able to pick up a pair at select retailers including Foot Locker.
See 20 Surprising Sneaker Releases
Kendrick Lamar Covers Mass Appeal, Explains 'To Pimp a Butterfly' Album Cover
There’s no question that Kendrick Lamar is a lyrical swordsman. So for the cover of Mass Appeal’s latest issue (No. 56), the Compton rhymer holds a samurai sword with his teeth. Um, isn’t that dangerous?
It’s a striking photo nonetheless and the cover tag says it all — “The Pen Is Mightier Than the Sword.” Props to photographer Chris Buck who snapped the photo, which is inspired by a Mick Jagger biography.
Veteran rap journalist Gabriel Alvarez talked to K.Dot weeks after he dropped his critically acclaimed album, To Pimp a Butterfly, which is, undoubtedly, one of the best rap albums of 2015.
Among the jewels the 27-year-old wordsmith dropped on the writer include confirming that a J.Cole collaborative project is in the works. In addition, Lamar talks about the response to TPAB.
“I love the response for it. But when you really break down the album, it’s not only for blacks. I have just as equal people outside of my culture understanding the album,” he states. “This album is more about deciding what you’re gonna do with your fame and your fortune.”
“[Is it] for negative or for positive reasons? When you look at the first half of the album, it’s really me trying to figure it out, y’know? [I’m being] flamboyant, boastin’, being vengeful in certain places,” he continues. “Then going down that line of saying, ‘OK, I can do something better with it.’ So I don’t think it only resonates with blacks, but with people all around the world, man, that can respect the idea of going through a journey or a rebellion, and figuring it out.”
Finally, Lamar explains the concept behind his bold black-and-white cover artwork for TPAB. Apparently, the men in the picture are Lamar’s friends from Compton whom he talked about on his last album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city. The white guy on the ground is a judge.
“You look at these individuals and you look at them as bad people or a menace to society, but they’re actually good people, just a product of their environment,” he says. “Only God can judge these individuals right here. Not no one with a gavel handing out football numbers of years and not giving these kids a chance at life. Every n—- is a star.”
You can cop the new Mass Appeal magazine with Kendrick Lamar on the cover at newsstands or on the publication’s official web store.
Watch Kendrick Lamar Explain His ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ Album Artwork
See Five Best Hip-Hop Albums Released in First Quarter of 2015
Lil B Claims Red Lion Hotels Staff Stole $10,000 From Him [VIDEO]
A video posted by LIL B "THE BASEDGOD" OFFICIAL (@lilbisgod) on Apr 28, 2015 at 2:14pm PDT
Rapper Lil B ran into some misfortune recently at a hotel in Oakland, Calif. The Bay Area rhymer claims that two staffers at Red Lion Hotels stole $10,000 out of his room.
On Monday (April 27), the Based God went on Twitter to air out his grievance with the hotel and then put them blast with a video on Instagram.
“So people that work at hotels are stealing from rooms now?? Not cool Oakland ca and shame on the manager and staff who wronged,” he tweeted.
In the video, Lil B is asking the hotel manager about filing a claim and is getting no assistance. “This manager at red lion refuses to help Lil B???…Who has Lil B money???!” he wrote. “Protect Lil B! Collect and spread around to find truth the woman on video is the hotel manager who refuses to help she has info who stole lil b money!”
It’s unclear why Lil B left $10,000 in his hotel room. Was it in cash or a check? Either way, the hotel chain did reach out to Lil B on Twitter.
Meanwhile, fans are tweeting their prayers for the Based God to get his money back. We hope that Lil B gets his money back too, and then invest in a wallet.
The Biggest Hip-Hop News Stories in 2015 (So Far)
Sunday, April 26, 2015
Loopwhole Beats - Newyorkism (Digital Edition) - 2015
LP - 2015 - Goldensounsrecords
Previously available on Vinyl but SOLD OUT
(still hand signed black version vinyl remaining Here)
Loopwhole Beat's debut full length album "Newyorkism" ,
featuring artists like Shabaam Sahdeeq , Lewis Parker , Miilkbone , Eastkoast , Grand Daddy I.U , Sadat X ... is now available in Digital Format.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Sorting Out Our Scientific Shabazzes
I didn't get it until I heard the title track, but the name of this EP, Lidushopahorraz, is an alternate spelling of "Little Shop of Horrors." "Little Shop of Horrors," was the last song on his old EP with Supreme Kourt in 1998. What are the odds it's the same song? "I'm Breathing for You" also seems to match up with "Breathing for You" off that EP. "Organized Rime" and "Crime Saga" are familiar songs. Weren't they on that album The Vault? Or The Becoming Of the Disciple? Or The Book of Shabazz? Or The Passion Of the Hood Christ? Has Shabazz just been repackaging the same old songs over and over again for decades? Why is the room spinning? Are you my doctor? Help!
Okay, let's break this down track by track and try to approach things scientifically...
1. "Organized Rime" - This title is surely ringing a lot of bells, but you're probably thinking of his 1997 12" single, "Organized Rime (Part II)." Shabazz has a weird way of sequelizing [not an actual word, but it should be] his songs... His first single was "Death Be the Penalty," and his second one was "Crime Saga (Death Be the Penalty - The Sequel)." But there's also a "Crime Saga 2?" Shouldn't that be "Death Be the Penalty 3," then? It's confusing. So when he released "Organized Rime (Part II)" despite there never having been a "Part I," most of us just assumed it was another semi-sequel to "Crime Saga" or something. But it's not. "Organized Rime" is its own song, and it's being released for the first time here. Awesome, right? Well, kind of. If you got the 2006 CD/DVD combo The Passion Of the Hood Christ, this song was actually on there. So it's not actually unreleased or debuting on here... But this is its first time on vinyl.
2. "Lidushopahorraz" - Right, so like I said, it's really "Little Shop of Horrors" which is on the old Supreme Kourt EP., based on a line from Kool G Rap's "Ill Street Blues." Except the credits here say it's produced by C-12, not Supreme Kourt. How can that be? Because this is a remix. Or maybe this is the original version, and the Supreme Kourt version is the remix. Either way, it's the same vocals but set to a different instrumental. I'm not sure which version I prefer; this one is a little more conventional, but both tracks are dope. The biggest disappointment is that this is a shorter version, missing the second verse and skips from the first to the third. So overall, the original is definitely preferable. But this is at least a decent companion piece for people who already have the full version. And this version at least is completely unreleased.
3. "I'm Breathing For You" - Right, so "I'm Breathing For You" is obviously "Breathing For You." But once again, it's an alternate C-12 version. And this time it's got all the verses and I think it's doper than the one from the old EP. This was released already, however, on the 2008 CD The Vault (Hidden Safiyahz). And the old EP version is the one labeled "I'm Breathing for You" on The Becoming Of The Disciple: 94 B.C.- 00 A.B. So, another case of: not really unreleased, but at least making its vinyl debut.
4. "Crime Saga 2" - So, right. "Crime Saga 1," was "Death Penalty 2," his second single on Penalty Records. There was also a remix on that 12", but this isn't that. So is Part 2 really debuting here? Not really. It was on The Vault (Hidden Safiyahz), where it was titled "Crime Saga 2 (The Struggle Continues)." But again, vinyl debut at least.
5. "The Souls Journey A.D. (After Death)" - This one's entirely new to me. The label says it's another C-12 production, though it sounds different from his usual work - lyrically, it's an ill, spiritual imagery filled story along the lines of his early Gravediggaz verses. Lovin' this one, and again it seems to be quite old but completely unheard.
6. "Ya Exodus (Instrumental)" -Well, the full song, "Ya Exodust," was featured on The Vault (Hidden Safiyahz), but this is the instrumental version. Exclusive, but just an instrumental (with the full hook on it).
7. "I'm Breathing For You (Instrumental)" - Pretty self-explanatory. Obviously, this is the instrumental for the version of the song featured earlier on this record, not the old EP. And it's an exclusive instrumental.
So, has Shabazz just been repackaging the same old songs over and over again for decades? Well yeah, kind of. But he has a big back catalog, so there's not too much repeating going on throughout his releases. Usually each song just comes out 2-3 times.
This particular EP isn't nearly as unreleased as the title would leave you to believe. But does feature at least one seemingly completely unreleased song, which is pretty great, and am unreleased remix. Plus two instrumentals. And its all making its vinyl debut. So alright, if you're a vinyl head just looking for some ill 90s music, this is it for sure. But if you're a serious Shabazz fan expecting a full EP of songs you don't already own, be prepared for some disappointment. But at least you'll get "Souls Journey."
The sound quality is nice; "Souls Journey" definitely does not sound like some crusty old tape rip. And it's all given Chopped Herring's usual high quality treatment: sticker cover, limited to 350 copies, 75 on gold colored vinyl, 75 on silver (silver), and 200 on classic black. This is probably more for serious vinyl heads than people who already have all the CDs; they should be very happy with this, even if we have had the bulk of these songs before.
Friday, April 24, 2015
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