Last night Jay-Z started his Blueprint 3 tour with a 9/11 benefit concert in Madison Square Garden. Along with the proceeds going to families of victims, Jay-Z brought along special guests, including Pharrell, John Mayer and his wife Beyoncé. Missed it? That's ok..Peep the full concert below.

VH1 brought back it's Behind the Music series (I must say I THINK I'm happy about this). Their first show was Lil' Wayne, no matter how much I may think he's gone off the deep end his story is an interesting one. It goes into detail about his 11-year-old sex and drug life, him shooting himself, his admitted drug use and of course his music career. Now when VH1 did Behind the Music in the past, they never (to my remembrance) actually spoke to the artist (often anyway) and usually was told from the accounts of others close to them. However this time, Lil' Wayne pretty much tells his own story. IDK if it is because he IS so open about his past or not. I know the Steelers game was on as well as the Real Housewives of Atlanta, so if you missed it, it's ok check it below.

This week in Hip-Hop History, the hip-hop world and urban America sat silent as we learned that Tupac Amaru Shakur was shot and killed leaving a fight in Las Vegas. There are many speculations about who killed Tupac and why. Many urban legends say that it was an inside job by owner of Death Row Records (Tupac's label) Suge Knight (especially after the death of Bad Boy Records' and well-known rival (former ally) Notorious B.I.G. 6 months later).
Shakur was an actor, poet, and rapper having won many awards for his albums and gone platinum several times (even after his death).

Tupac stepped onto the 90s rap scene as a part of Digital Underground before releasing his first solo project 2pacalypse Now in 1991 on Jive/Interscope Records. From then on he went to release a total of three solo albums on Jive before getting arrested and serving time for violating probation (Tupac had several legal problems including being accused of rape, a wrongful death suit, and attacking an employee).

After his release, he then made the West Coast switch to Death Row Records owned and operated by Suge Knight with clients that included Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. His first album on Death Row, All Eyez on Me, went platinum (multiple times over) and began to shine a light on him and his affiliates.

Within a year of being signed to Death Row, Shakur was gunned down by an unidentified shooter after leaving a fight in Las Vegas and posing for this picture a few minutes earlier:



Tupac influenced a generation, he was more than a "thug" and convict, he did a lot for his community and left an everlasting mark on the hip-hop industry.

So while I was out, two mixtapes I had kind of been waiting on dropped.

KR's 'Amnesia' and Pat Piff's 'Hungry as a hippie'.

KR was NOT kidding when he said 'Amnesia' would be finished within a week of me posting his leaks, because a couple of days later...I was e-mailed a link to download his mixtape.

It's dope, I love his style and my favorite track would have to be the cover of "Maybach Music" featuring Dizze and JFin (Fin's his lil' brother BTW). The beat on "Burn" reminds me of an early 2000's rap track (can't think of which one but I think it reminds me of a Ruff Ryders joint..IDK). If you're expecting this to be just like Fin's 'Infinity and Beyond' you fail. Though there are some similarities their deliveries are different.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD KR's 'Amnesia'

After one pushback, Pat Piff FINALLY released 'Hungry as a hippie.' The reason I like Pat Piff is because his delivery and style is so different from a lot of the rappers I've heard. I know him and Big Sean rapped together back in their Cass days, and yes they're both talented (have you heard 28 Grams Later?), but I couldn't imagine them being a rapping duo because of their styles.

Anyway, the features on this tape are dope and include some local faves like Mike Posner, Big Sean, and Earlly Mac. From "So Round" with it's Arabic inspired back beat to the previously leaked "Despicable Me" Pat shows off his own skill as yet another talent from the Finally Famous camp.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD PAT PIFF's '28 Grams Later Vol. 2: Hungry as a Hippie'

Said it once, twice, three or four times maybe, but Finally Famous does not revolve around Big Sean (surprising to some of you). A lot of these guys are talented rappers as well who so happen to be friends (emphasis on this word since many people forget what friends are) with a talented rapper that just so happens to be signed. I've been away for only 3 weeks, but a lot of dope leaks have come about (including Jay-Z's BP3 which had to change release dates, but w/e) and this one by Finally Famous' JWan leaked maybe a week or so ago. It's called "You" and was produced by Detroit's own Bei Maejor (who has produced hits for Trey Songz, LeToya Luckett, and Chrisette Michele). The other is called "I Promise" and was leaked close to 2 weeks ago. (told you I was behind) What do you think about it? Feeling it? loathing it? Sound off below.

You



I Promise

Guess who's back....

back again....

Alex's back....

tell a friend...


Hola!
It's been roughly 3 weeks to a month since my last post and I first must say thanks to those who have STILL been checking out the blog.
Also, special shoutout to those who asked where my posts have been, that is the coolest thing ever. Knowing that people actually read/value what I have to say is kind of humbling (in a weird way).
So where have I been?
Well, Summer has ended and school has began, and for the past couple of weeks I've been getting back into the university life. It was a weird transition (even weirder/stranger/more uncomfortable than freshman year) but it's good to be back.
ANYWAY, I realized I never did my summer recap, and I actually had one all written up nicely but I decided to change it up after reading Cliff's 5:03 today (mine was similar to his; it was everything I learned).

Summer.

One Word, 3 months, life-changing, epiphany.

That pretty much sums up summer 2009 for me. I have been taking "baby steps" into the Detroit entertainment scene. The weirdest thing about it is as much as I have been watching other people, people have been watching me.

I don't mean that in a "creepy, stalker, 'Marvin' from Player's Club" kind of way. There are so many talented people in the city, who I truly admire from Rick and Ro of Burn Rubber, Cliff, Slapz, DJ Mo Beatz, James over at DSE, Dante Marshall, Tommey Walker, the list goes on for a while.

At the same time there are people who give ME, props and kudos on my writing and I don't think many realize how much it actually means to me. (mushy, I know, lol).

Over the summer I:

-Fell in love with hip-hop all over again.

-Interviewed a Sony/J Records musician from Southfield who is currently filming his music video.

-Went to Burn Rubber, DSE @ Grand, and Spectacles (granted went each place once, but I will go more I promise)

-Fell in love with Detroit and what it had to offer

- Was introduced to Detroit hip-hop (who by the way have talent beyond the Tone Tone/K Deezy I was used to)

- Officially made a name for myself as a blogger with the Fli Pelican v. Juan Neal (not really versus but you get it) series..

- Think I may have possibly burned future bridges with that series (though I never took sides and have no hard feelings against the Pelicans).

- Ended my sophomore year with a 3.5 GPA (which is double and half where I was after freshman year).

-Wrote and contributed to two web sites (beside this blog)

-Had my first 'angry rapper mad at me because I didn't post his song and try to slander me' incident, which pretty much messed him up big time with other bloggers and rappers. (sorry, but it did).

That sums it up, lol those were the highlights beside meeting the most awesomest (made up word, yes?) people ever and appreciating the ones that were already in my corner.

This summer has taught me two important lessons:

1) Patience and practice are the two key components of success. I know everyone's definition of success varies, but NOTHING happens overnight and practice makes perfect. I was born to be a writer (I'm quite sure of it, lol) just like Kobe was born to be a NBA superstar, Oprah was born to be a billionaire, and Michael Jackson was born to entertain 5 generations of people. However, no one would have gotten anything done if they didn't practice their craft and hone their skill.

2) Acquaintances are not friends. (I feel there's no explanation needed for that one).

All in all, I had a fantastic summer in the city. I guess some people would say I found myself after losing a big part of me for a minute.

Ending this with: Expect dope things from me...No clothing lines, no mixtapes (well maybe I'll do an A Side mix but we'll see), no production...People can do dope things without rapping, dj-ing, or singing....and I shall.

Happy Friday

<3 Alex W.

Today August 25, marks the 8 year anniversary of Aaliyah's death. Ironically, I just so happened to be listening to Aaliyah's 'I Care 4 U' album and I didn't even realize what today was. I loved Aaliyah, she was a talented artist and like with many died before she could accomplish much. However, her music was great and because of that her songs will last as long as 'men can hear.'

R.I.P Aaliyah Dana Houghton

Flashback to: Aaliyah::

Yesterday, P.H.I.L.T.H.Y. released his EP 'Love Songs for Losers & Ballads for Ballers'. Personally, I like him (his song "Say It" made it on my summer playlist) and I have been anticipating this for a long time. Produced by L.A.'s Jansport J, I think this is one for you, whether you're a loser or a baller, and even if you're neither, you'll enjoy it.


Click here to download P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.'s 'Love Songs for Losers & Ballads for Ballers'

I hate the song Run This Town..like a lot..mostly because of Rihanna's yodeling, but the track list for Blueprint 3 was recently leaked online. It's an album full of features, but I am still anticipating it's release. What do you think about this album?

House Party

Who's Fli like a Pelican and Finally Famous? That would be Earlly Macmillion, a Finally Famous and Fli Pelican Music Group artist. By now, you should be familiar with Big Sean and if you downloaded UKnowBigSean (like I suggested you do) then you heard Earlly on both "Mr. Incredible" and "Hollywood" (both tracks produced by recently signed Michiganders The Olympicks). Earlly is more than a feature rapper (you know the ones that can't hold their own but kill on everyone else songs?), Party Boy will be dropping this fall and what better time to get to know him. Introducing: Earlly Macmillion

Name: Earlly Macmillion (or simply Earlly Mac)
Role: Rapper
Affiliation: Fli Pelican and Finally Famous.


Alex Washington (AW): Who is Earlly Mac?

Earlly Mac (EM): Earlly Mac can be defined as an innovator of fun that conveys his artistry through what we call rap. Earlly mac is also a die hard fan of Detroit in all aspects, and some would say he's a silly ass n***a.

AW: How did you get into rapping?

EM: I got into rapping, just by being surrounded by it all the damn time. You know growing up in Detroit during the 90's, there were only a few things introduced to you, and rap was one of them.


AW: Who are some of your inspirations?

EM: I feel guilty when I get asked this question because, as of recent, there aren't any inspirations for me musically. There are outside incentives for doing what I do. But inspirations? No.


AW: What makes you different from other rappers?

EM: I'm different because, I say funny shit and it's sweet, thank God. I also know how to entertain; rappers these days are too selfish. It's about giving the people something and I give entertaining songs, you feel me?

AW: When can people expect Party Boy EP and what can they expect it to be like?

EM: It's actually a mixtape so its new name is Party Boy (the mixtape). We (Finally Famous/FPMG) will be announcing a release date October 1st. You're going to have to wait for that official release date, and when it does drop people should expect something different 100% guaranteed. I'm pretty sure people would like it.

AW: What do you think is the biggest problem with the industry and how are you going to try to avoid that problem?

EM: The industry's biggest problem is definitely artists not being creative. There are a million insane rappers doing the same thing over and over and expecting to blow. It's not going to happen! You gotta have NEW HOTNESS not the OLD BUSTED! So I'm going to keep making NEW HOTNESS in every aspect of my career from songs to promo!

AW: What are your plans for the rest of 2009?

EM: I'm going to finish up "Party Boy", continue making new joints for my second tape, get in the studio with Big Sean and make NEW HOTNESS you feel me? So its grind for the rest of 09'

AW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

EM: 5 years from now, I'll be 26 and at that time I should be away from music doing something else. But who knows where the hell this beast is going to take me; we'll just have to stay posted.

Want More? Follow Earlly on Twitter

One of the rappers that Southfield native JFin said influenced him was his brother KR, who actually taught Fin how to rap. So when I received an e-mail with 2 of KR's tracks attached, of course my interest was piqued so I'm sure yours is as well. He will be finishing his mixtape 'Amensia' soon (as in within the next week or so, soon). So what do you think about these tracks? Yay or Nay: KR.

Dumb Dumb


Damn

So I've been lagging with the posts..simply because I just finished moving back to school so yeah life = hectic. Back to school time is one where parties are plentiful and as many people are starting to get back into their respective schools and such there are MAJOR parties going on in both Detroit and Atlanta. So below I pulled fliers for the 4 most popular events that I just wish I could attend, 3 are happening this week in the 313 and 1 is in the A. What're you going to?

Royalty Ent. and the peeps over at ScollasWord.com have teamed up to present to you The "Hell of a Night" Remix Contest. If you're not familiar with either, JFin dropped his mixtape 'InFINity & Beyond' last month (and also did a video interview with Tha 'A' Side check that http://thaaside.blogspot.com/2009/07/like-it-or-not-jfin.html) and Scolla's Word is the homie Young Scolla's blog (with the help of Binks).

The goal is to remix JFin's song "Hell of a Night" there's an open verse on the version Scolla posted and which leaves you aspiring rappers and such an opportunity to display your skills. Here's the official lowdown from Scolla's Word:

Participants have until 8.23.09 to submit to scollasword@gmail.com their remix versions to "Hell Of A Night".
The top 4 remixes will be chosen and JFin will choose the final two verses to make the official remix live on ustream. The Final remix will be placed on the 1st Official "ScollasWord Mixtape" as well as blasted to the ScollasWord Web List (Over 100 major blogs)


*Participants will judged based on production/recording quality, creativity, delivery and track presense.

Interested? Well download the contest mix for "Hell of a Night" here and get started.

Summer is over.

Sunday I'm moving back to school which pretty much signifies the end of the year. Maybe you've seen my gripes, but for the first time in like...EVER, I don't have a summer song. Usually it's the most catchy song of the summer but seeing that "Best I Ever Had" has been playing in my life since December....yeah that's a no go.

This year I have come to love Detroit Hip-Hop...it's a scene like no other. I guess because it's so "new" to me that I'm so intrigued by it. So naturally about 85% of this playlist is Detroit artists. So what songs have I been (poorly) singing all summer?

1) Epiphany - Chrisette Michele
2) Transformers - Yung GooD
3) Victory 2009 - 101 (aka Marvwon, Ron Dance and Ro Spit)
4) Neon - Amanda Diva
5) Cloud 9 - Slum Village feat. Marsha Ambrosius
6) I Get Crazy - Nicki Minaj feat. Lil' Wayne
7) It's Nothin' - Detroit CYDI
8) Poke(h)er Face - Kid Cudi feat. Kanye West
9) I'm Good - Fly.Union
10) Solo Dolo - Pat Piff
11) Lean a lil' bit - P.L.
12) Marathon Sh*t - JFin
13) Say It - P.H.I.L.T.H.Y.
14) As I Em - Asher Roth feat. Chester French
15) Friends With Money - Drake
16) Infatuation - Young Scolla & K-Bunz
17) Jump Rope - Cool Kids
18) Billionaire - Big Sean
19) Just Ain't Gonna Work Out - Mayer Hawthorne
20) Rock-A-Bye - iLLite
21) First Date Sex - Mike Posner
22) Gettin' Down (Hoodrats) - NGC
23) Still Love H.I.M. - Mae Day

Want my playlist? Download it here.

First there was the announcement of Def Jam's Rap Superstar, then DJ Jazzy Jeff's DJ Hero, now famed producer Timbaland has developed his own video came..doing what he does best...producing. Yes, much like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, the game gives players the chance to play producer. According to XXL Timbaland had this to say in a press release:

I’ve worked closely with Rockstar Games to make something completely unique. Beaterator is like taking my music studio and turning it into a suite of tools anyone can use. We can’t wait to hear the beats people make and share with the world.

If you're not familiar with Rockstar Games they came out with the classic Grand Theft Auto series for Playstation (loved that BTW). The game is slated to hit store September 26, perfect for all you refund check getters. I must admit I'm starting to think that these music games are getting out of hand. Guitar Hero and Rock Band are fun, but don't you think they are going to start pushing real instruments into ancient history as well as neglect the actual mechanics of it all?

Well after the ummm 'video' that is now affectionately known as "Breast I Ever Had" it appears Drake is doing his best to redeem himself. He is currently working on a video for his second single "Successful" which features Trey Songz. This time around the video is shot by Jake Davis and actually judging from the photos looks to be better than the previous one. Peep the stills below.

Young Scolla turned me on to this guy and I wanted to know what you all thought (don't I always?). His voice to me sounded like Gucci and Jeezy (maybe it's his kind of raspy voice?). Don't know much about him except that he's from Detroit, U.S.R, and currently working on something. (I guess I know enough). I'm posting two tracks by him, one track features Young Scolla (who also wrote and sings the hook). YAY or NAY: Will Grinden.

"Swagger Right" feat Young Scolla.


"The Business"


*Edit (11:57p) So Will Grinden hit me up and informed me that he sang and wrote his own hook. Well, him and Scolla both did ...so I was half-right. lo siento ;)

I love this song, It may be a guy talking to his now ex-girl, but the message is dope. Ghostface Killah is an often slept on rapper (in my opinion anyway) and this song is off his fifth album 'Fishscale'( which was as slept on as he is) . "Back Like That" was his second single, features Ne-yo, sampled Jay-Z's "Song Cry" and had K. West on the offcial remix. Flasback to: "Back Like That" - Ghostface Killah

Slum Village's newest video featuring the late Baatin. The video was directed by Dwele and produced by K. Riggins. Now I'm not sure if this was the video that was filmed the week before he passed or not, but it's a dope song and video. The song "Actin' Normal" is going to be on SV's 'Villa Manifesto' album slated to be released next month.



*Edit (6:57p): This is the aforementioned video that Slum Village had shot roughly the week before Baatin passed. Thanks Mos :).

"Diva, Diva y'all," Don't know who Amanda Diva is? look for the chick with big hair wearing spandex, rocking nice kicks in neon colors. Let's see on her resumé are TV hosting gigs, radio personality, host of her own show, DivaSpeak TV, artist, bag designer (which I'm having the hardest time deciding between the Boom Bap bag and the Beat Locks bag), and of course singer (she replaced Natalie in Floetry). I wouldn't classify her as a singer...but not a rapper...she's much like Mike Posner, leagues of their own. ANYway today she premiered her video for "Neon" one of my favorite tracks off her FreEP 'Spandex, Rhymes & Soul' Video is very In Living Color, Martin, A Different World....basically think of the theme song clip from your favorite 80's/90's shows and you have "Neon". Check it out below.

Lyrical Murders feat. K-Young

When Joe Budden, Crooked I, Royce Da 5'9, and Joell Ortiz announced that they were forming the group Slaughterhouse, I must admit I was really skeptical. Individually these guys are some of the most talented underground (and underrated) artists and often times when you take too much of a good thing it becomes just okay. Well tomorrow, August 11, Slaughterhouse is releasing their self-titled debut album (if you have managed to get a hand on your own copy, chances are it's because your music store released it early.)
It was roughly a year ago that the foursome said they were going to do a project together and throughout the summer they have been steadily recording and working on their album. This summer the slaughterers were one of the headlining acts on the Rock The Bells 2009 tour (which I was lucky enough to go to when it came to Detroit). The one thing I find interesting is that Joe Budden and Royce da 5'9 have managed to put their mini-beef aside to get this product done.
Their first official single "The One" premiered online and got a nice lil' buzz going for them back in July.
In all honesty hearing four voices on every (or almost every) track can get overwhelming, but their skill and wordplay definitely makes up for it.
Despite being a quad there are still featured artists on this record, including: Fatman Scoop, K-Young, and The Royals.
Do I think 'Slaughterhouse' is a pre-party/club banger? not at all. 'Slaughterhouse' is an album that you listen to, not just hear; and songs like "Pray" and "Rain Drops" are nothing short of lyrically mind-blowing to say the least.
Album production? crazy, (the good crazy) but I'm not surprised though. The beats bang indeed. lol. Some of the producers listed are Alchemist, DJ Khalil, and StreetRunner.
Strong verses, great beats, and eh/okay/mediocre hooks make up this album. Though some people deny it, or choose to ignore it, a good hook can make or break some songs. Some may say that lyrically challenged songs are the only ones that need hooks, but actually that's not true. Between the somewhat complex nature of their bars, the fellas of Slaughterhouse could have added a hook on some of their tracks. I don't know how any of you feel about this but at some point my mind needed a break.

RESULT: ♫♫♫♫ (of 5)

'Slaugherhouse' is something that I can see myself working to or just kicking back and listening to. However, I personally need breaks...I can't really listen to the album all the way through in one sitting without becoming overwhelmed. It does seem that Joell , Joe , Royce, and Crooked take a mixtape approach to their album which (to me) means that they clearly could care less about being mainstream. (*sidebar: I'm quite sure they could give two rusty pennies about being mainstream , but there are some artists who say it and are secretly hurt by not being mainstream, feel me?) Plus I don't think mainstream could handle them. Lyrics are dope, beats are fire, I wish this would have come out when it was initially supposed to be released because it would have been the perfect summer album to listen to. There's always next year.

Have you ever heard Chrisette Michele's "On My Own" off of her 'Epiphany' album? Or maybe LeToya Luckett's new single "Not Anymore"? Or how about the first couple of tracks off of Trey Songz's 'Trey Day' album? Well if you have, then you have indeed heard a Bei Maejor produced track. I told you before, that Detroit rapper Big Shan is in the studio working on his newest project 'Big Shan vs. Bei Maejor" and the finally maejor artist leaked this track on Twitter today and it's produced by...well Bei Maejor. so, YAY or NAY: "So Maejor" - Big Shan.

Finally Famous. Chances are if you're in Detroit you've heard of them. Maybe you've been to one of their parties or you've seen Big Sean perform in concert. There are a few people that would say Finally Famous rides Sean and that none of them know how to do anything (lie if you want, but you've heard these rumors/claims as have I). Well that's not really true. I've been slacking a lot and I've meaning to post these for a minute, and I got an e-mail today with another track so I decided to do one BIG Yay or Nay. Below you'll find 6 tracks from some of the fellas of Finally Famous. Some have other responsibilities with FF, but they still drop a bar or 16. What do you think? Do you think that they are skilled enough to stand on their own? or without Sean will they fall? YAY or NAY: Finally Famous edition.

"Oh Space (freestyle)" - JayJohn: He's a producer..and just so happened to have produced this joint he's going in on.


"Despicable Me (remix)" - Pat Piff: Once Big Sean's partner in rhyme, he's now doing his thing solo dolo and his new mixtape "Hungry as a Hippi" drops at the end of August.


"I Get Up" - ADubb: President of Finally Famous' street team.


"Japeto" - Earlly Macmillion feat. Terriyaki Tone & JayJohn: Earlly Mac is a Fli Pelican x Finally Famous artist.


"Will" - Pat Piff


"Stuntin" - Adubb

So me and Gena (aka @Gigi_Kiara) were talking about today's "tweet-out" and we realized we may possibly be addicted to Twitter. 140 characters to say what you need, can cause so much heartache when it's out for two hours and you are incredibly bored. Thing is, we're not alone; CNN posted a story about the Twitter situation and even admitted that people felt like their lives were missing a chunk:

Some Twitter and Facebook users expressed near-panic that the sites were not working properly. Others reacted with ambivalence.

So Gena and I came up with the 10 ways you KNOW you're addicted to Twitter

You're addicted to Twitter if:

10) You actually felt that your world was crumbling when Twitter was out today. If you checked EVERY Twitter app that you have (UberTwitter, Twitterific, Social Scope, TwitterFon, Tweetdeck, Tweetie, Seesmic, etc. ) on your phone AND computer every five minutes to "see if it was back." you have a problem.

9) The first thing you do in the morning, even before washing your butt or at least getting the crust out of your eyes is grab your phone or computer and check your @mentions...you may be addicted.

8) Twitter is your homepage/most visited site AND bookmarked on your desktop.

7) Do you consider Twitter a 'movement'? You are addicted.

6) You start one trending topic a week; either you have just that many followers or you tweet that much to the point it IS a trending topic.

5) You have just been pulled over by the police, held up at the bank/ATM, or just been robbed (or in the instance of @PerezHilton you get punched by pop star's bodyguard) and you tweet it before calling 911...you're dumb AND are addicted.

4) You Tweet someone (via your phone) instead of texting/calling/BBMing them as the main source of communication with them.

3) Talk to your Tweeps and Twiggas more than you talk to your real friends. (kind of lame actually....)

2) You keep tally of how many followers you have on Twitter and if you lose even one it results in a tweet such as.

Oh well, I just lost a follower must be too real for these Twitches.

1) You refer to people by their Twitter names and use the '@' symbol before names/places that DO NOT even have Twitter pages. You are REALLY addicted if you use that symbol in your blog, Facebook status, text messages, reference letters or actually say : atMom, do you need help with anything?

*EDIT (8:12 p.m.) - You are also addicted if you are offended by any of this, do any of this, and actually took the time to evaluate what is being said here.

Ok so everyone heard the news that Mike Posner signed with J Records/Sony. Well on his managing company's blog they posted this video of him signing the contract (and breaking a champagne glass). Very cool thing for him, seeing as he got a deal off of one mixtape. still weird, because Mike Posner was not only the first hip-hop/pop musician that I had interviewed, but the subject of my first interview for MichiganHipHop. ANYway, Congrats and Kudos and well wishes to him.

The passing of Baatin is really taking a toll on Detroit, especially the hip-hop community and the people that were close to him. Yesterday, Hexmurda posted his first column on AllHipHop.com and it was dedicated to Baatin. Not only did it raise many internal questions about life and death, it included Hex's own memories as well.

The last time I saw Baatin was at a clusterf**k in L.A. called "The Breaks." Some real amateur bulls**t. He was with Slum Village, I was with Black Milk and Guilty Simpson. Bunch of acts, n***as not gettin' paid, security about to body the promoter, Psycho Realm fans about to riot, the promoter slithering out the back, sheriff's in riot gear, that type of s**t. When we realized we weren't going to get paid, n***as prepared to go back to the hotel, (which is another story in itself) and to Bishop Lamont's gig and H.O.B. Any n***a that knows me or Tim Maynor knows we ain't gonna have our clients do s**t for free. We were all like "f**k it." We got the deposit, free money let's bounce.

Not Baatin.

Baatin said, "Man,we're here. We got fans here. Let's just do it, give them a show." We all looked at him like he had a toaster for a head, and he returned our looks like we were wearing lampshades.

Well today, producer Black Milk posted this video on YouTube about Baatin in his own words. Apparently Baatin was the one that discovered that Black Milk had skills as a producer. Peep It.




Slum Village Lives On.

*Edit (1:26 p.m.) Talib Kweli made a blog post today about Baatin as well. In it he discusses how Slum Village as a whole influenced hip-hop culture, not just Dilla's beats.

I learned on Saturday that we lost another bright shining light in Hip Hop, Titus "Baatin" Glover passed away, leaving T3 as the only surviving member of the original Slum Village. Slum Village has had an incredible influence on me as an artist. When that Fantastic Volume 1 cassette was making the rounds in the industry, their style was so free and musical, it made me re evaluate my approach. Many assume that Dilla beats and were the main reason for SVs ascension into hip hop greatness but that assumption does a disservice to the rhyme styles of both T3 and Baatin. T3 would sometimes mumble, maybe not even complete the rhyme before he shifted gears, but it was so funky and in tune with the music it made me realize I could grow by having more fun and bending my voice to the music. J Dilla, like most producers, found the perfect vocal tone and flow to fit his tracks, he was like an anchor when he rhymed. Baatin, however, would take you to outer space. While T and J were rhyming about a 3 Screw, Baatin was rhyming about tantric sex. While the underground was hailing SV as saviors of pure hip hop, Baatin was like "fuck this rap shit I listen to classical." His spiritual references, willingness to approach unheard of subject matter and his incredible energy on stage, made me an instant fan. I had the pleasure of touring with the whole crew on the Okay Player tour in 2000 and again with the addition of the prolific Elhzi this year on Rock the Bells. He was a gentleman and very passionate about everything he said and did. He will be missed, for real. RIP Baatin.

FACT: I was THE Ruff Ryder fan as a kid: DMX, The Lox, Drag-On, Swizz Beatz, Tony Sunshine...I was fans of them all. Well an alleged single by Ruff Ryder's first, and actually only, lady Eve was leaked in the wee hours of this morning. From what I've read the single is from her new album Flirt slated to be released either the end of this year or the beginning of the next. The buzz single from the album Tambourine was released two years ago in the Summer of 2007. Maybe it's the return of the late 90s/early 00s heavy hitters, seeing as Murder Inc.'s Ja Rule just released HIS new project (that also had a two year old single) Mirror: Reloaded online. Anyway, what do you all think? Yay or Nay: "Me N My" - Eve.

So there's this rapper by the name of P.h.i.l.t.h.y, pronounced like 'filthy' but his name has kind of a deeper meaning: Phenomenal Hip-Hop Individual Living Through His Years. He's from Michigan (I believe Lansing however I could be very wrong) and attended Michigan State. According to his Myspace page he's supposed to be going to Africa this fall (DOOOOOOOOPE!) I heard of him earlier this year through Ketchum and have been looking forward to the things that he has coming. He leaked this song on his Twitter at midnight and naturally I had to post it on here. Yay or Nay: Say it - P.h.i.l.t.h.y.

Big Gov:

how do you you have a record/distribution deal, and your own city won't support you? help me out on this!

Royce 5'9 to Big Gov: Detroit is a follower market...just convince the rest of the world and they'll jump on it.

Mae Day:

True story: if I was from somewhere else, I'd prob be "on" by now. Take it how u want..

U know I've had LABELS who WANT TO sign me but won't because they say "u gotta get ur city behind u first"...well, I won't hold my breath...

U know I've had a MAJOR LABEL call the local radio & ask about me & a particular person admittedly shut that down?? True stories...

Miz Korona to Mae Day:

the bullshit has happened to the best of us. And true fans of real hip hop will never deny you.

Above are tweets from some local Detroit rappers about how ultimately they're stuck between a rock and a hard place. They love their city, but not only do they feel no love in return, they get no love in local media but most importantly, they are skipped over by local radio.
I've been tweeting about this topic for roughly a week now, and it seems like the more my eyes are open the more I'm seeing what's wrong.

What started the rant was the tweetnouncement that Big Sean's "Getcha Some" was in rotation on MTV Jams. While many were re-tweeting this and offering kudos, the only thing I could think was: Why isn't he getting any airplay? Well that led to my Tweet rant:

If Detroiters don't support each other who will support us?

Not to knock them, but how is it that Tone Tone, Stretch Money, and K-Deezy are always on WJLB and 102.7?

and @Big_Sean is like skipped over or I only hear him when @DJMoBeatz is spinning?

It's the fact that people are so quick to say its nothing out there when in fact there is.

The radio makes mainstream think that there are only 10 hot songs out there, when they probably have a stack of unheard sh*t,

That they won't play or consider to play. They wonder why everyone listens to satellite radio or MP3's..

All the songs that they DO play by Detroit artists is all about "I shot you down, bang, bang, come f**k with my hood"

Basically everything that contributes to the stereotype of a Detroit musician...

Is that why artists like @Big_Sean aren't being played? Because they rap about more than the lyrical BS that's out there?

Is it really that hard to dedicate at least one hour of airtime to Detroit artists that aren't just basement rappers?

Basement Rapper (n.) - One who not only records in his basement, has simplistic, unchallenging bars, the 'hood' uniform and a pipe dream.

It's crazy that these rappers are getting national and global attention but can't be heard on during the "Free Ride at 5"

All these thoughts, these tweets, I stand firmly by and believe in and will not retract on them. It sucks that OUR artists are being supported by Chicago, Cleveland, Atlanta, New York but are not even acknowledged in Detroit. It also sucks that if you don't know people you won't know music and that is NOT the way it's meant to be. I always thought the purpose of the radio was to bridge the gap between artists and their potential audience. It should not be this hard for them to be heard. Labels should not be telling them that they WOULD be signed but they don't have their city behind them and having radio airplay should NOT be the only sign a city is supporting an artist. But that's the world we live in and it is.

Now, P.L. is a great artist, his lyrics are fire and his beats (mostly done by the Olympicks) are insane. Keeping it 100 right now, would P.L. be in rotation as heavy as he is if he weren't always at WJLB? True he was 106 and Park's freestyle champion, but I mean, Big Sean is signed to Good Music/Def Jam, Mike Posner is signed to Sony/J Records, Slum Village started an entire musical movement...so that means nothing.

My final straw with Detroit radio came yesterday after the announcement of the passing of Baatin. Usually when an artist passes away, all day you would hear that artist; it happened with Tupac, Biggie, Aaliyah, Left Eye, more recently Michael Jackson. However yesterday I didn't hear ANYthing by Slum Village on WJLB until DJ Don Q began to spin and for 30-40 mins. it was Slum Village. What makes these artists different from Slum Village?

I think what made me the most upset was the fact that Slum Village has contributed to hip hop on the grand scale, not just the local one, and it stinks that Baatin isn't getting the same respect as any other influential artist. When Blade Icewood was killed do I not remember hearing "Come Roll" or "Boy Would U" on the radio throughout the day or am I buggin'?

I really have been thinking about this a lot and I actually want to talk to radio personalities and such to see what the dealio is. They can't convince me that they are not getting songs in their e-mail inboxes or at events so what gives?
As journalists we enter this field because we truly care about what we are covering and putting out there into the world. Is that the problem with radio personalities? Did they stop caring and only feel the need to 'do their job' ?

And you know what else? I know this is about radio, but I didn't hear Baatin's death reported on the news either. I've seen it on newspaper sites but not on the actual television broadcast. When Proof and Blade Icewood were murdered it was all over the news, or when J. Dilla passed and his mom couldn't afford to pay for anything? Round the clock news coverage.

The sh*tty part is I'm spending roughly $80K to go to school to enter a field that's corrupted, biased, and overall in desperate need of people that care about their craft instead of ones that give it the label it has now.

To Detroit Artists: I rock with you, the whole city may not, but I do. You take your time to not only perfect your craft but represent the city, and represent it well. You all amaze me because instead of leaving the City for one that knows your name you stay, and work to make your voice heard. Kudos to you.

To Detroit Radio: Get it together. It's only a matter of time before YOUR medium is overpowered by that of satellite radio and livestream. You are part of the reason that artists find ways of leaking songs themselves because of the lack of respect and love that you show them. 10 songs on shuffle DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD RADIO and I know that whatever school you graduated from taught you that in Broadcast 101. If you're only doing it for the free stuff, you are a sad excuse for a radio personality. For years Detroit has been behind the station, standing silent as outside artists are being picked to headline local concerts while the locals settle for 5 minute opening spots, the least you could do is dedicate an hour to REAL Detroit hip hop.

Shoutouts to everyone that's doing their thing from Finally Famous to U.S.R. to Big Sean, Mike Posner, Young Scolla, Pat Piff, Ro Spit, JFin, Marv Won, P.L., Miz Korona, Ron Dance, Mae Day, Royce 5'9, much love to T3 and Elzhi (Slum Village Lives On)..and to DJ Mo Beatz and DJ Don Q for being the only two DJ's I've personally heard play their stuff on the radio.

Live.Laugh.Love
Alex W.

This guy Iman is perhaps best known for his spoof of Barack Obama as Beyoncé back around the time of inauguration. Well, he never stopped making spoofs and today uploaded this spoof as Drake, for his hit single "Best I Ever Had". I know all brown skinned dudes don't look alike but it's kind of funny that a change in haircut made him go from resembling the 44th President to Young Money's newest compadre.