Def Jam Rapstar: Strings Attached

"Concrete Jungle" 4-Ize, De La Soul & Señor Kaos

What happens when you pair up the legendary De La Soul with 4-IZE and Senor Kaos? Well this happens:

Download 4-Ize x De La Soul x Señor Kaos - "Concrete Jungle"

9TH Wonder Interview: The Art of Sampling

Hip Hop producer 9th Wonder on his trip to London in April 2009. He talks to SoulCulture.co.uk about the art of sampling, why producers that sample are misunderstood by older generations, current work with Wale and David Banner - and why putting his face out there is so important now in an age where, often, music is seen before it's heard.

David Banner Talks "Death Of A Pop Star," [Explicit Content]

David Banner is passionate as usual as he speaks on "feeling trapped musically" and expresses contempt for the proliferation of the mixtape, citing its contribution to the death of contemporary black music. He exclaims, "9th wonder beats ain't free! David Banner verses ain't free!"

Video: Imagination - Amber Rose Instrumentals - Judah

This video is quite simple. Makes a very strong observation. Question is; Will those who need to get the message, 'get' the message?

The best way these days to promote music online is with a video seems like, especially if that music is of an instrumental nature. It's intriguing how beatmakers tend to attach a woman's name to their productions. Amber Rose. Hmmm.

Download Amber Rose Instrumentals by Judah

Hollywood (Remix) ft. Raekown, Wale, Tabi Bonney and Raheem DeVaughn

Raheem Devaughn's 368 Music Group in collaboration with Okayplayer, DJ Booth, Cmonwealth and Sneaker Pimps present Phil Ade's sophomore mixtape The Letterman hosted by Don Cannon. The Letterman features guest appearances from Raekwon, Wale, Tabi Bonney, Raheem Devaughn, Skillz, Kingpen Slim and more.

Download - Hollywood (Remix)

Tree City "Say It Again"

"Say It Again" is the newest single from Ann Arbor, MI based 5-man (4MC's + 1 DJ) hip-hop group, Tree City. Off of their upcoming project, "Thus Far," the track showcases each MC's lyrical dexterity over a stripped down, latin-influenced beat, courtesy of producer L05 (who also sings the hook).

Tree City has been making music together ever since early 2006. They have released two previous projects, "The TreE.P." (2007) and the "Black Trees" mixtape (2008), which utilized beats from Black Milk's "Music form the Purple Tape" free download. Both are available at their bandcamp site: http://treecityhiphop.com, as well as "Say It Again."

Download Here

Common - Next Time feat. Queen Latifah

Even though Common has been making major strides in his new chosen field of acting, he's still crafting tunes for listeners. Obviously gaining a new audience for his work due to his movements on silver screen, at times how much his original fans are digging his newer material is questionable. All in all Common never fails to at least bring us something , whether we dig it or despise it. He's not going to stop being productive, which is more than can be said for a lot of his peers.

Download - Next Time feat. Queen Latifah

Death Of A Pop Star - David Banner & 9th Wonder

(May 6, 2010 - Los Angeles, CA) Grammy Award winners David Banner and 9th Wonder, two of hip-hop's heavyweights, are teaming up for the collaborative album Death of a Pop Star slated to be released this summer on Big Face Entertainment. Serving as the artists' first collaborative work together, Death Of A Pop Star offers fans of both David Banner and 9th Wonder a fresh and unique perspective on the music industry.

9th Wonder has a history of teaming with legendary emcees and crafting dream projects that have resulted in both critical and commercial success. With top-selling hit maker David Banner at his side, it's obvious that the respected producer's winning streak isn't slowing down. David Banner's most recent successes include writing, producing, and arranging (with guidance from Jimmy Smith and The G Team at Chalt Day) the new non-hip hop Gatorade theme song "Evolve," performed by Kermit Quinn. To some, pairing with Banner, who is also a celebrated producer in his own right, having produced smash hits like T.I.'s "Rubberband Man," might seem like an odd thing for 9th Wonder to do but this project was a wholly mutual vision between both artists.

The duo's driving creative force for the album stems from shared feelings about the state of the music industry and the de-valuing of music. Concerned that listener's today exist in a world where style wins over substance to the detriment of both the music industry, and the arts, the pair decided to take action. "We first were going to make it a free mixtape release, but then we realized it was bigger than that," explains Banner on their intentions. The duo set out to create a set that would help bring the focus back to music; not image.

While their project began in earnest with their eye on the state of hip-hop, a mutual respect for each other's artistry helped drive the partnership. "9th Wonder is probably one of the most soulful cats in our generation," says Banner, praising the North Carolina producer know for his work with Little Brother, Jay-Z, Beyonce, and more. "Death Of A Pop Star is needed for a balance in the music landscape right now, just like 2 Live Crew and A Tribe Called Quest were once needed at the same time."

9th Wonder adds, "David Banner and I both share the same views on topics such as manhood, being black in America in present day, and the state of black music in general. David and I hash out a lot of options before we actually do a song. Once we get past all the options, the end result is always clear." For fans looking toward the summer release, this David Banner and 9th Wonder collaboration may serve as only a beginning, rather than the pinnacle, for the Death Of A Pop Star concept. Visualized as an ongoing concept, the duo is keeping their options open. Satiating fans, Banner says, "Who knows what concept Death Of A Pop Star may be in the future, next year it might be Lil Wayne and Pete Rock. 9th Wonder and I would still oversee it, but we don't know what it's gonna be." He continues, "This concept is bigger than hip-hop music. It shows us that young people do have soul."

The Flaming Clipse: The Clipse Meet The Flaming Lips

FreeIceCream.net co-founder and rapper/producer Domer is back with another pun-tastic remix creation. Combining the dirty south raps of Virginia natives Clipse with the epic sonic wash of indie-rock innovators The Flaming Lips, Domer has carefully blended the best of both worlds for this surprising remix/mashup experiment.

~Tracks~

The Last Gash

Yoshimi Battles Virginia

Feeling The Wamp Wamp

Grindin At The Gates

The Gangsta That Leaned

Fight Me Too

Kinda Like A Superman

A Spoonful Weighs A Cot Damn Ton

Download Here