Hit-Boy - Old School Caddy ft Kid Cudi

G.O.O.D. Music artist/producer Hit-Boy released the video for "Old School Caddy", his collaboration with fellow G.O.O.D. music staple Kid Cudi today. From his #HITStory mixtape, Hit-Boy spits bar after bar of pure amazingness. Coupled with the dope video, this really should have been a summer anthem. Check it out!

Kendrick Lamar - Westside, Right On Time ft. Young Jeezy

As a part of Top Dawg Entertainment Appreciation Week, Kendrick Lamar dropped this collaboration with Young Jeezy today, produced by Canei Finch. Where is the sample from?

Frank Ocean Comes Out!!!

Today, Frank Ocean published a letter on his tumblr that confirms the rumors that he is gay (or at least bi). In some songs on his upcoming album Channel Orange, he sings about love with a man, which lead to speculation about his sexuality. He reveals that his first love was a male friend in this letter:

Tyler, the Creator responded to his friend and fellow OFWGKTA member's coming out with this tweet, showing that even though he uses homophobic slurs in his music, it does not mean he is anti-gay and that he supports Ocean coming out. 

This is huge. Homosexuality carries many negative stigmas in both hip-hop and black culture, so to come out of the closet as a popular artist is not easy. This is a step towards understanding and acceptance in the hip-hop community and even though it will take A LOT more than one artist coming out to make a change in the minds of homophobic individuals, this was an extraordinarily brave move for Ocean and will hopefully prompt the community to rethink some things. 

What do you think about homosexuality in relation to hip-hop? Do you think there is a big stigma against it? Did you have any idea Frank Ocean was gay? Because I sure didn't. 

Kanye West & Pusha T - New God Flow

Last night, Kanye performed his verse from his new song with Pusha T, "New God Flow", on the BET Awards last night. If you saw it, then you know he killed it. If you missed it, I'll post a video at the end. The song seems to serve as an introduction to the future of G.O.O.D. Music. Pusha T takes the first two verses, which are both lackluster. It basic self-hype about how badass they are and how fresh they are and all that jazz. The same shit every other rapper talks about. Being your own hype man is played out, sorry Pusha. Kanye's verse, however, salvages the song with a few well-placed and meaningful bars. I'll go through the 2 that stood out to me and then post the song & video. What lines, if any, stand out to you?

What has the world come to, I'm from the 312, Where cops don't come through and dreams don't come true

312 is the area code for Kanye's hometown, Chicago, which is far from a safe, cushy suburb full of affluence and opportunity (hence "dreams don't come true"). Like many other hoods, there is clash between the police and the citizens they serve.

I'm living three dreams: Biggie Smalls', Dr. King's, Rodney King's

Quite self-serving, but Kanye's ego is big as hell so you know he can't go like 3 bars without hyping himself. However, this line is still meaningful in that each of these three spoke of a "dream". Biggie's famous line "it was all a dream", Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, and Rodney King's dream of harmony.

Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap

This documentary stars Ice-T, who speaks to countless hip-hop legends about their craft and about the genre that has changed our lives. Some of the big names include Afrika Bambaataa, Bun B, Common, DJ Premier, DMC, Doug E. Fresh, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Grandmaster Caz, Ice Cube, Immortal Technique, Joe Budden, Kanye West, KRS One, MC Lyte, Nas, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Redman, Royce Da 5'9, Run, Salt, Snoop Dogg, Treach, Xzibit, and Mos Def/Yasiin Bey. The film comes to theatres this Friday, June 15th. I'll post the trailer and update about it after I see it! Are you as excited as I am?

Frank Ocean - Pyramids

Frank Ocean recently released this track which is off his upcoming album Channel Orange, to be released on July 17th. This 10 minute track is split up into two parts, with (possibly) the same character in both. The lyrics suggest Ocean's extensive knowledge of Egyptian history, with both overt and subtle references. In the first part of the song, he describes the actual Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra, while in the second part, he sings about what is probably a modern-day interpretation of Cleopatra. At the least, they share a namesake. The ending guitar solo features John Mayer and gives the song a feel similar to The Weeknd.

Meek Mill - Dreamchasers 2

Meek Mill's highly anticipated mixtape, Dreamchasers 2, finally dropped today at 2:15pm. It's available for free download at DatPiff and features collaborations with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Mac Miller, Wale, and a few more. I'll post more about it later in the week after some buzz builds up and we all have the chance to listen, but for now I'll leave you with the Intro video he posted on World Star.

Wiz Khalifa - Hello Kitty

More wallpapers available at http://wallpapers.selfmedicatemusic.com

I'm not a huge fan of Wiz..his lyrics leave a lot to be desired but his beats are alright. This song has a really fun, chill flow and the video matches. It's off his mixtape "Burn After Rolling". I'm not even going to bother with the lyrics since they are just repetitive, but check out the video!

Oh, also! The whole reason I wrote this post is because I found and entered a Hello Kitty giveaway today, and it made me think of this song. There's a couple prizes and only like 2 other people entered so if you like Hello Kitty, you've got a pretty fair shot at getting some free swag.

Enter the giveaway at Hello Kitty Forever

Usher - Climax

R&B powerhouse Usher just released the lead single to his seventh album, which is still in progress and slated to release later this year. It was produced by Diplo, and this dubstep-infused falsetto song tells the story of a relationship that has become unsalvageable and has reached its "climax". The music video goes even deeper, and shows Usher still hanging on to an ex who has since moved on, while sitting in his car contemplating ways to have her again. It's exciting to see Usher back in the game and staying true to his soulful love songs, while adding new elements and growing as an artist. I'm absolutely in love with this song..what do you think?

Yasiin Bey - Niggas in Poorest

I know I'm like 2 weeks late with this song, but better late than never. Mos Def, now known as Yasiin Bey, has been in the game since the mid 1990s.  He's always been an intelligent, social-conscious rapper and has some insane talent. As a testament to this, he has announced his plans to release a Top 40 Underdogs series, which will be his reinterpretations of some recent hits. Remixing is a huge part of hip-hop culture, so this isn't strange, but he will stick with his style of social and political subjects which unfortunately is not common. Such is true with "Niggas in Poorest", where he puts a major spin on "Niggas in Paris". 

In "Niggas in Paris", Jay and Kanye boast about their riches (of course) and how they "ball so hard". Yasiin refutes this in the first verse, saying "So what's fifty grand to a young nigga like me? More than my annual salary". I could probably go on all day, comparing the two songs and showing how Bey turns each superficial line from "Niggas in Paris" into something actually relatable. I mean, I love Jay and Kanye as much as the next hip-hop head but seriously? They are bragging about all their money and status in this song and pretty much every song, while most of their audience is struggling to make ends meet. I mean, big ups to them for making it and getting all these millions..but what about all of your friends and family still in the projects? Do you even remember what it's like? Unlike them, Yasiin remembers what it's like in the ghetto. 

This whole video is amazing. The lyrics are on the screen so you know exactly what he's trying to say. The imagery he uses drives the point of every line so deep; you cannot ignore it. You can make it big and forget the 'Hard Knock Life' all you want, but that doesn't make it go away. It still exists and it's something the rest of us face every day. There's one line that I think resounds the message of the entire song, as a criticism to both mainstream hip-hop artists and the 1%:

Don't get caught up in no throne / Towers of Babylon rise up and so they shall fall

Also, one thing I've noticed in people's reactions to this song is the very end, when he says "Allah is in control", and  everyone is just trippin over the reference to Yasiin's Islamic religion. Hip-hop references the Christian God in literally countless songs, so I feel this shouldn't even be an issue. Why the hell do you care? The point of the song is not to preach Islam. The point of the song is to raise awareness within the hip-hop community of the injustice surrounding us and to provoke the audience away from the normal apathetic attitude and into action.

  It's them niggas in poorest, be them rebel guerillas

Wale - DC Gorillaz

This is probably my favorite song by Wale! The sick beat is sampled from "Dirty Harry" by Gorillaz (hence the title), which I'll post at the bottom as well. I think this song, more than any, is a testament to his talent. He confronts the tendency of rappers to practice "poor artistry", where they just spit inane b.s. on top of an 808 and it becomes a hit. He addresses how his refusal to stoop this low hurts his radio play/record sales, however, by saying "if I don't make that man there dance / that man there throw Wale on the shelf, and I lose" and later compares himself to photosynthesis, as his style gives a change of pace.

every single single ain't a single just to hit the clubs

Also, in true Wale fashion, he takes it back to DC for the last verse and makes it crank. All in all, this song is awesome. Granted, he's started to drift away what he used to be. I feel like since joining with Maybach Music, he's started to fall into the same trap of "poor artistry", although he's NOWHERE near as bad as Lil Wayne, Tyga, Nicki, or any of Young Money (thank God). He still has mad talent and he's not too far off, plus he always reps DC so he's true to his roots. Hopefully he wont go full retard.

Tha Joker ft Future - Blow It All

Young southern rapper Tha Joker has been rapping since he was 14 years old. He's since gained fans and followings through YouTube, Twitter, and Myspace and has created a trill sound all his own. His 2009 mixtape "We Do It For Fun" is one of the most downloaded on livemixtapes.com. He released this single, "Blow It All", last year and I think it's a testament to his sound. The video is reminiscent of The Hangover, baby included.

Childish Gambino - Heartbeat

Honestly it's taken me way too long to post Childish Gambino. My bad. This dude does it all..he's an awesome MC, he was a writer for The Daily Show and 30 Rock, and he plays Troy Barnes on Community.  He's talented, intelligent, and most of all he's got swag. This song is off his latest album, Camp, and describes his complicated relationship with his ex.

Game ft. Tyler the Creator - Martians vs. Goblins

Two west coast powerhouses, Game and Tyler the Creator, get together for this dark track. Oh, and Lil Wayne is on it too, but honestly he doesn't bring much to the table so who cares. They both take shots at various celebrities and artists, such as Chris Brown, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, LeBron James, Tyler Perry, and Bruno Mars. The video is set in a dim, decrepit mental institution which just adds to the song's already dismal feel (which is Tyler's specialty in my opinion). I really like it..it's artistic and goes hand in hand with the flow of the song..certainly not the average rap video.

Drake ft Lloyd - A Night Off (Chopped & Screwed)

Drizzy teamed up with R&B artist Lloyd for this intimate slow jam, which I wanted to share just in time for Valentine's Day :) It's easy to neglect your significant other, especially when you're working your ass off to make ends meet. In this song, Drake takes a night off from it all and gives his girl the night she deserves. The original version is cool, but this version is awesome. It's chopped and screwed by Pollie Pop, a Texan DJ who's been in the game for a while and has a lot of talent. If you like this song, check him out!

Da Shootaz - Gangster Friday

If you're a Grand Theft Auto fan like I am, then you'll recognize this song. It first appeared in GTA 1, then again in GTA III on Lips 106 and as the ringtone for your pager. In Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, an 8-bit version of the song can be heard in the game's intro screen. It makes a reappearance in GTA IV, as a ringtone available for your cell phone.

Soul Starr - Nujabes/J Dilla Tribute

I'm pretty sure this tribute is by Soul Starr, an experimental/hip-hop producer. In any case, I think it's a beautiful tribute to two of hip-hop's greatest, J Dilla and Nujabes. Rest In Beats! <3

Eve - Love Is Blind

Eve is a Philly rapper/actress that was big in the late 90s/early 2000s as a part of the Ruff Ryders. This song was on her debut album Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryder's First Lady. Looking back, I really miss songs like this..uplifting and motivational songs from strong women in hip-hop. Now we have Nicki Minaj talking about her ass...

"Love is Blind" tells the story of a friend who was murdered by her abusive boyfriend, a fate that befalls far too many women. Physical and emotional abuse is a serious situation and can turn deadly at any time. There are many warning signs and if you or anyone you know may be in an abusive relationship, please seek help immediately before it's too late!

Queen Latifah - U.N.I.T.Y.

I still remember my mom playing Queen Latifah in the car when I was growing up. I liked it but the songs didn't have much meaning to me back then. Listening to it now, I can understand why my mother loved Queen Latifah so much; she's a force to be reckoned with and her music carries a powerful message.

"U.N.I.T.Y." was Queen Latifah's biggest hit and is off her third album Black Reign, released in 1993. In the first verse, she addresses the issue of women being harassed/fondled on the street. She highlights how degrading and disgusting it is, and how she resolved the issue. She goes on to talk about domestic abuse by telling the story of a past abusive relationship. The hook confronts what the chorus resounds, the message that verbal degradation on the street, in relationships, and in hip-hop is not okay. Ladies, you are not a "bitch" or a "ho" and don't let anyone tell you any different!

Nicki Minaj: Reversing the status of women in hip-hop, one verse at a time,

City High - What Would You Do?

City High was a hip-hop trio out of New Jersey and this was the first single from their debut album back in 2001. They only made one album and broke up shortly after due to romantic conflicts, which is a shame because they had A LOT of potential, as evident in "What Would You Do". This song is about a single mother who resorted to prostitution to be able to feed her son, with an uplifting ending meant to motivate other parents caught in similar situations.

Game ft. Kendrick Lamar - The City

Game teamed up with my boo Kendrick Lamar for this track, which is off his 2011 album Red Nation. It's hands down the best one..the sample and hook are awesome and the outro is pretty cool, but Lamar on the chorus really brings the song together and his fourth verse absolutely KILLS. 

TOB - Love On Top

TOB aka TakeOvaBand is an up and coming DC GoGo band. They did a cover of Beyonce's "Love On Top" and this song cranks. Let me know what you think :)

Geto Boys vs. Big Sean - Mind Playing Tricks On Me

The Geto Boys, who then consisted of Scarface, Willie D, and Bushwick Bill, released this iconic song on their 1991 album We Can't Be Stopped. This song has been the recipient of widespread critical acclaim and tells stories of nightmares, hallucinations, and paranoia. Simply put, it's an integral piece of hip-hop history.

Big Sean covered this song on his 2009 mixtape UKNOWBIGSEAN and it's a little lackluster. He earns a lot of brownie points just by covering this song, for sure, but he dumbed down the lyrics and made them kinda shallow and more obscene. That's just my opinion though, it's up to you which version you like better. I'll post the original + lyrics followed by Big Sean + lyrics. Lemme know what you think.

Common Diss and Thoughts on Drake

I've seen a lot of hate towards Drake lately and I feel the need to say my piece. Drake started out refreshing; he's different. He grew up in Canada and was on Degrassi. He had a cushy life. He didnt live in Section 8 housing out in the ghetto, he didnt struggle, he didn't get into gangs or drugs like so many other rappers. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means dissing this. It's important to have relatable and inspirational music from artists who lived this life and are reaching out to those still in it. Struggles and uplifting are two of the biggest bases for hip-hop. That being said, it's nice to have a change of pace, especially considering some of the big artists in mainstream hip-hop right now. The shallow, materialistic, substanceless garbage on the radio right now is misrepresenting the genre and poorly influencing our youth. I think its great to have someone who doesn't only rap about how awesome they are, how much money they're spending, how many girls they're sleeping with..etc. To have a rapper actually rap/sing about love, relationships, pain, mistakes, aka real shit, is awesome.

I'll admit, I think the game is changing him. The company he keeps is affecting him negatively. His first mixtapes were awesome and had so many sweet songs(see "A Night Off", "Same Mistakes", "Sooner Than Later"),  but I feel he's had a steady decline and I blame it on Young Money. He even acknowledges his changes in songs like "The Resistance" and "Club Paradise".

Bottom line: women love Drake because he shows actual emotion and real shit; he's not entirely chauvenistic. If women love Drake, you better learn to love Drake.

I don't know why Common is going after him. Maybe it's because he's sold out to materialism and indulgence. Maybe it's because he sings on half his songs, so he has one foot in the door of rap and one in R&B, making him "sweet". I've heard that it's over tennis pro Serena Williams. Common and Williams dated on and off for a few years and now her and Drake are involved with each other.

Drake recently subtly took a shot at Common on a remix of "Stay Schemin" with Rick Ross, claiming he is just trying to get into the headlines, since he just released a new record.

Back when if a nigga reached it was for the weapon, nowadays niggas reach just to sell they record

This is exactly what Common wanted--a response. He jumped on the track and added a verse after Drake's, ripping him a new butthole and calling him "Canada Dry" (that was clever lol). He also hinted at something that makes it pretty obvious it's about Serena..

Can’t say my name but rap about a nigga’s wife

Cue Destiny's Child sample (also beast). I don't know what's up with this beef but I think it's pretty stupid. Drake is untouchable right now and I've never known Common to come out and take cheap shots like that. This has to be over a woman! I'll post it after the break. Let me know what you think, for real.

Swizz Beatz - Top Down

Swizz Beatz is a New York producer/rapper/record executive who recently married and had a child with Alicia Keys. He is also the CEO of file-storage website Megaupload, which was shut down today by the government. "Top Down" is from his debut studio album, One Man Band Man, released in 2007.

Jay-Z Vows to Stop Using the Word "Bitch" in His Music

Shortly after the birth of his new daughter, Blue Ivy, Jay-Z penned a poem dedicated to his new addition. In the poem, he promises Blue to stop saying "bitch" in his music, out of respect for her. He also wrote a song for her, called "Glory", which includes sound clips of her crying and cooing. This track entered at #74 on the Billboard charts, making Blue Ivy the youngest person to ever be credited on a charted song. I'll post both the poem and the song after the break!

Tyga - Rack City

Tyga is a 22 year-old rapper from Compton with Jamaican and Vietnamese roots. He's part of Young Money and is due to release his second album Careless World: Rise of the Last King at the end of this month. The album features his latest hit, "Rack City".

The first music video for "Rack City" was just Tyga in a strip club, throwing money on half-naked girls while they gave him lapdances and slid down poles. He released a more MTV-friendly version, which is reminiscent of Grand Theft Auto. It's better than the first video, at least.

Lyrically, I hate this song. It has a cool beat and it's pretty infectious, but aside from that, this song is pretty disappointing. Songs like this prove to me that hip-hop is dead. Superficial, materialistic songs that offer nothing of value climb the charts while artists like Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, J Dilla, Talib Kweli, etc. who articulately rap about deep subjects get little to no radio play.

If you came here for the lyrics/video/ whatever..I urge you to take a step back from all the girls/money/jewelry/etc that mainstream hip-hop worships and actually look at the content of this song and others like it. This is not hip-hop. This is not real music. This is not art. This is ignorance. This is self-worship and idolatry. This is materialism. Artists like this take the name of hip-hop in vain and are killing the genre.

Screw Rack City, screw Tyga and screw Young Money!

Kendrick Lamar - A.D.H.D.

I've said it before but I'll say it again; Kendrick Lamar is posed to be one of the greatest rappers of our time. He has a great flow and raps about things that are actually meaningful, not egotistical or superficial. This song is a commentary on the over-medication and apathy of our generation. Doctors tend to be quick to prescribe medications for people who may not actually need it and at the same time, we stay drunk/high to, for lack of a better word, self-medicate. This song is Kendrick Lamar's response-- "fuck that".

Lupe Fiasco - Show Goes On

Lupe released his third album, Lasers in 2010 and this was the first single. It's a motivational song for all the kids stuck in the ghetto and I really love it. He released it on October 26th, 2010 and it samples "Float On" by Modest Mouse, which I also liked.

Jay-Z & Kanye West - New Day

Kanye West teams up with the new father Jay-Z for this track, which was released on their collaborative Watch The Throne. It's a dedication to their future children, which is fitting for Jay-Z especially seeing as how Beyonce just gave birth to his first daughter, Blue Ivy, on the 7th. It was produced by RZA and also features a sample from Nina Simones 1965 song "Feeling Good". 

Memphis Bleek ft. Jay-Z - Murda Murda (Murda Marcyville)

New York rapper Memphis Bleek was one of the original artists signed to Roc-A-Fella Records and is a long-time member of Jay's crew. This track is off his 2003 album M.A.D.E. and is a testament to South Philly's rough environment. Jay-Z also takes the opportunity to diss his mentor Jaz-O, specifically in the first verse.

Handsome Boy Modeling School - Holy Calamity

Handsome Boy Modeling School is a collaborative between two of hip-hop's legendary producers, Dan the Automator and Prince Paul, using the monikers Nathaniel Merriweather and Chest Rockwell. They teamed up in 1999 and released the album So...How's Your Girl? followed by their 2004 release White People. The overlying theme of their music is a commentary on the materialistic and vain members of upper class society, and their characters acted as biting satire. 

"Holy Calamity", off the album So...How's Your Girl?, features DJ Quest and DJ Shadow. It's also known as "Bear Witness II", as a sequel to Dr. Octagon's 1996 song  "Bear Witness", which Dan the Automator also produced. 

Clipse - Virginia

Virginia Beach duo Clipse released this track on their 2002 album Lord Willin'. While it was never a radio single, this homage to their home state is still an awesome song and one of my favorites by them.

Game ft. Lil Wayne - Red Nation

Game (formally known as The Game) was born and raised in Los Angeles/Compton and has a very West Coast style. Although raised in a Crip household, he later became a Blood and after an incident in 2001, Game decided to leave the gang life behind and pursue hip-hop as a career. His life growing up and continuing to live in the gang culture inspires many of his songs.

"Red Nation" was the lead single off Game's 2011 album The R.E.D. Album and uses a sample of techno artist Zombie Nation's 2000 hit "Kernkraft 400". It's also featured in the trailer of the upcoming Mark Wahlberg movie Contraband. The music video was banned from airing on both BET and MTV because of its controversial portrayal of gang culture and Game's allegiance to the Bloods. I don't think it's that serious..it has a somewhat post-apocalyptic feel and doesn't expressely glorify gang culture or violence. You can see for yourself after the break.