TAG: Hip-Hop

Sep08

Mos Def Is Changing His Name To Yasiin

When choosing your MC name, you have to think carefully. You want something that sounds cool, that is memorable, and that you won’t mind people calling you in 20 years time. Just ask Puff Daddy.

So why is Mos Def, owner of one of the coolest names in hip-hop, retiring his well-known moniker in favor of the name Yasiin at the end of 2011? The MC and actor told MTV’s Sucker Free:

“Mos Def is a name that I built and cultivated over the years, it’s a name that the streets taught me, a figure of speech that was given to me by the culture and by my environment, and I feel I’ve done quite a bit with that name and it’s time to expand and move on. Also, I didn’t want to have to deal with having any moniker or separation between the self that I see and know myself as.”

The thing we’re unsure about is why Yasiin? Likely it’s the tradional Arabic name Yasin, given a little hip-hop flavor. The rapper born Dante Terrell Smith has been a committed Muslim since the age of 19 and is active in a variety of Muslim-based community initatives. We’re all for dedication to your religion. It certainly worked for Muhammed Ali. Check out the video of Mighty Mos making the announcement after the jump. …MORE
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Sep01

9th Wonder Ft Phonte & Median :: “Band Practice Pt. 2″ (MP3)

Check the new song off of 9th Wonder’s upcoming album, The Wonder Years, featuring long-time collaborator Phonte and Justus League member Median. After that Jack White/ICP fiasco, we need some real hip-hop to cleanse our ears.



Download: Link

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Aug24

Paul White – Rapping With Paul White (Review)

Paul White

Rapping With Paul White

Released by One-Handed Music


Part hip-hop, part electrofunk and part space-jazz, UK producer Paul White’s new record Rapping With Paul White, is a genre-bending mixture of geographically diverse sounds. Featuring Detroit’s heavy-hitter Guilty Simpson of Stones Throw and Random Axe fame on the single “Trust” as well as the Motor City rapper Danny Brown on “One of Life’s Pleasures”, Paul White cooks up some delectable selections for our audible consumption—from straightforward hip-hop bangers, to more methodical and introspective instrumental tracks. In addition to the already mentioned stellar collaborations, there are some intelligently composed tracks ...

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Aug24

Rock the Bells 2011 Review

Nas and Badu Reign On This Epic Day Of Hip-Hop 

With triumphs by Nas and Erykah Badu, let downs from Black Star and Lauryn Hill, and missing pieces with Wu-Tang Clan, Rock the Bells 2011 was as exciting, confusing and controversial as the hip-hop generation that it celebrates.

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Aug20

Powerlive Hip Hop and R&B Concert

Power Live concert is moving locations from The Beach at Governors Island to the larger South Island Field, on Sunday, Aug. 21, 2011 at 6:00pm.  Power Live’s  line-up will feature Fabolous, Kelly Rowland, Big Sean, Meek Mill, J. Cole, Estelle, Wale and Ace Hood.

Governors Island is a 172-acre island in the heart of the New York Harbor located just 800 yards from Lower Manhattan, and even closer to Brooklyn.  The concert will be accessible by ferries that will run from Battery Park Piers one and two in Manhattan.  Ferries will run every 15 minutes all night long.  For directions and ferry times to Governors Island visit govisland.com.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.highlineballroom.com/bio.php?id=2093.

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