Tony Hawk Interviews Tyler, The Creator

Tony Hawks chats it up with Tyler about Odd Future, his love for music and skating, and his pop-up shop in Australia.

Hippodramidan (Avion x SiR E.U) - After F

Shot and edited by Aliyah Sahar (Kreative Khaos)


The duo and fellow Klansmen know as Hippodramidan come together for this latest video from the Klan and as always it's ill.

Frank Ocean - Vodoo

Download: Vodoo


Frank released this short, yet smooth track yesterday over at his Tumblr. I'm guessing it's just something to hold over fans til his Def Jam debut is released later this year.

ScHoolBoy Q - NigHtmare On Figg St. (Video)

Shortly after dropping the video for Hands On The Wheel, Q releases some dark visuals for one of my personal favorites from Habits & Contradictions, NigHtmare On Figg St. "What's fifty grand to a muthafucker  like you, you still need a reminder?" Still wondering bout this line tho...hmmm...

A$AP Rocky, Drake Perform In Toronto

Shot by hustleGRL

While in Toronto, for his first international show Rocky brings out hometown favorite Drake who in turn performs Cameras and The Motto.

Danny Brown 'Blunt After Blunt' Live

Danny performs his hit and brings out ScHoolBoy Q out to join him, during his set in Los Angeles. 

Black Hippy Performance Live In Texas

The Black Hippy crew performed at the Warehouse Live for "one of the craziest shows the venue has seen in months" I have to agree Jay Rock does a backflip mid-verse, with appearances from Southern legends Bun B and Scarface.

Chip Tha Ripper - Tell Ya Friends (Mixtape)

Download: Tell Ya Friends

Chip is back with a 21 track mixtape, although that in my opinion is to long for a Chip tape. Features include Krazyie Bone, Bun B, Cyhi Da Prince, Wale and fellow Cleveland native KiD CuDi plus more. On the production side Chuck Inglish, Lex Luger, Boi-1da, and Dot Da Genius are a few of the producers Chip grabbed for the tape.

A$AP Rocky - Wassup (Video)

A$AP Rocky teams up with VICE, to create a video that can only be described as trill. The video is said to be influenced by Scarface, Belly, The Warriors, Enter The Dragon and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

KiD CuDi & Dot Da Genius Reveal WZRD Tracklist

The duo's collaborative effort was due out on CuDi's birthday, but seeing as it was delayed til February 28th they decided to release the tracklist. With only one feature, this seem to really be an CuDi x Dot album. They have made dope music in the past so hopefully the album will be in the same vein.

01. The Arrival
02. High Off Life
03. The Dream Time Machine
04. Love Hard
05. Live & Learn
06. Brake
07. Teleport 2 Me, Jamie (feat. Desire)
08. Where Did You Sleep Last Night
09. Efflictim
10. The Upper Room

SiR E.U x Cal Rips - RIPPOMORTIS (Video)

Last take hoe...

The long awaited video from the Klansmen is here, watch as E.U and Cal spit over Kendrick's Rigamortis.


You can grab SiR E.U's HIPPOPOTAMUS, and be sure to peep out Cal Rips' Pinnacle.

ScHoolBoy Q - Hands On The Wheel ft A$AP Rocky (Video)

TDE and A$AP come together for the second collab from the two, off of Q's latest Habits & Contradictions. Can we get a video for Brand New Guy now?

Chick Gaynor - Galic Gun

Download: Galic Gun


For the latest installment in the Whatever Wednesdays series, Chick spits over a smooth Dilla instrumental. This is definitely the best I've heard Chick spit lyrics and flow-wise. The highlight of this track though is the usage of Lupe's songs, just plain ill. Origami coming soon.

Nomad - Faithkeeper

Download: Faithkeeper
 

Nomad released Faithkeeper late last night, with a laid back instrumental self produced by him and some dope rhymes, as to come expected from Nomad. Personally one of my favorites songs from him. No word on when his next project will be out, put in the meantime grab his first tape Think Again.

ScHoolBoy Q - Grooveline Pt.1 ft Dom Kennedy & Curren$y

Download: Grooveline Pt.1


Q drops one last track from Habits & Contradictions before it's release at midnight. With a chill instrumental from Lex Luger, who has been recently working with everyone, Dom and Spitta join in to give this track an even more laid back feel to it.

Cal Rips - Pinnacle

Download: Pinnacle

If the name Cal Rips looks familiar it's because he appeared on fellow Kool Klux Klan member SiR E.U's RIPPOMORTIS track. This time around he's solo, and he delivers well with the Pinnacle. This will serve as a single from his upcoming project Thumbs Up due out February 20th.

Chick Gaynor - Queso Dip

Download: Queso Dip


For #WhateverWednesday (yeah it's Thursday, late pass), Chick drops a Whatever leftover in the form of Queso Dip. Some of the best spitting I've heard from the homie over an ill sample, that you may have previously heard in a Jay Electronica track.

Kendrick Lamar Done Recording Debut Album

Kendrick explains “That’s my debut album, it’s not really a follow-up (to Section.80). It’s just going to have its own entity and its own space,” he said. “That’s set apart from everything. That’s my blood, sweat and tears. Something I’ve been working on my whole life, since the time I was born. It’s coming about. It’s ready right now, but I want to make sure it’s 110 percent right.” Kendrick and Jay Rock also explain that while Black Hippy has some records on the stash, each member is focusing on their solo projects at the moment.

See the full interview here.

Chip Tha Ripper - Out Here (prod. Lex Luger)

Download: Out Here


Chip links up with Lex Luger for this banger off his upcoming mixtape Tell Ya Friends.

Coachella Line Up 2012

Pretty cool line up this year, probably better than last from what I can remember. Congrats to Kendrick and Rocky on making this year.

Ski Beatz - Illegal ft Freddie Gibbs (Video)

Gangsta Gibbs and Ski Beatz come together for this dope collab.

Jay-Z - Glory ft B.I.C.

Download: Glory


Jay welcomes his daughter Blue Ivy Carter into the world with this track produced by The Neptunes. A really personal track from Hov, congrats to him and Beyonce on the baby.

Artist On The Rise: Detroit (Video)

Shot, edited, and interviews all by Clue.

Artist On The Rise is a mini documentary featuring Detroit's own and Digital Drop mainstay DeeDotMillz and fellow Detroit artist MikeDaDizzle. The two speak on what motivates them to make music, family, what separates them from other typical Detroit artist and their craft.

CRASHprez - Holden Caulfield

Download: Holden Caulfield
 

CRASH spits what's on his mind, and what he is feeling right now. Love the production on this one. #JoinTheCampaign

Rick Ross - Rich Forever (Mixtape)

Download: Rich Forever

Just as promised Rick Ross drops Rich Forever at 3:05m with an guest list of who's who in Hip-Hop along with the top producers in the game right now, Rich Forever is looking to be one of the top releases in the new year.

Rick Ross - Rich Forever Tracklist

Before his album God Forgives, I Don't is released Ross decides to gather some off the top talent in Hip-Hop and make an "mixtape". Features include Drake, 2 Chainz, Pharrell, Styles P and of course fellow MMG members plus more. On the production side the usual suspects are here with standouts Boi-1da, JUSTICE LEAGUE, and surprisingly Chuck Inglish. Rich Forever is due out Friday at 3:05 over at LiveMixtapes.

Phonte - Dance In The Reign (Video)

New Tigallo, new Tigallo, new Tigallo....Charity Starts At Home available now.

Digital Drop Presents: The Rap Up With Chick Gaynor

                                                                     

DD: Thanks for doing this interview, Slug.

CG: No doubt fam, thank you for interviewing a young goon.

DD: Why did you change your name, and how did you come up with Chick Gaynor?

CG: Chick is an old childhood nickname that's far to embarassing to discuss how I got it *slight chuckles* and Gaynor is my government last name heem. The name "Jay Swish" was too common, not captivating enough. I ain't want niggas to be like "Ahhh, another Jay? or not another Swish" all of which were ideas I got from Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Jarvis Hayes (EU & Obii Say).

DD: Why the nickname of Lord Slug?

CG: Cuz bitches love slugs.

DD: *laughs* Did you always want to be a rapper?

CG: I ALWAYS, always always loved Hip-Hop and loved writing raps, poems and shxt. Although I never really took being an artist serious until I was about 15, or 16. Before all that, I always wanted to do Norwegian Funk dubstep...but it didn't quite work out for me the way it worked out for Cudi.

DD: I feel you on that. Why did you name your project Whatever?

CG: I couldn't think of anything cool so one day I just looked at my man Hippo (SiR E.U) and was like "Fuck it yo whatever...yeah..YEAH!...Whatever" *laughs* thats how it really came about. At first it was "Social Reject" but that sounded like a pity party. Then it was "The Prerequisite" but that sounded like a J.Cole tape *laughs again* so I just said "fuck it...whatever".  

DD:What is the reason for re-releasing Whatever?

CG: I wasn't really completely ready to drop a tape, like don't get me wrong Whatever was cool, but at the same time, there's things I could have done better as far as delivery and flow and all that goes. And this re-release is way more than just a re-release. I can't share all the details right now but all I'm gonna say is "Real niggas on the mutha fugkin tv screen". 

DD: Bet. So how did you join up with the Kool Klux Klan?

CG: I believe it was a hot winter day back in 72..yeah..there was a young cat by the name of Petey. Yeah, Pablo was one bad dude man. He had this single out called "Gimme The Loot" off his album Stillmatic. Me, Avionadramida, and Cal at the time were busboys at this juke joint called "& Poets" *shrugs* go figure. Thats when we met EU, Mell, Crash, CJ and everybody else and its been KlanLife ever since.

DD: Word? *laughs* You make a lot of Anime refrences in your music, is that something you do intentionally to stand out or does it come natural with your writing process?

CG: I wouldn't say I do it purposely to stand out, Avion has been referencing anime since we first started and I always found it cool and unique so I found ways to incorporate it with my life and draw parallels and after a while it became natural in my writing process to draw parallels between life and cartoons in general. I just find it to be more creative self expression.

DD: What sets you apart as an artist?

CG: Variety, I think. *ponders and laughs* Creativity, originality and a whole lot of yeah. I see something that alot of artist don't I believe. I don't think many artist not even my own homies sees this art the way I do. Having a perfect balance of music yet not working towards it is always my goal when creating a project or even a jam. The blend of lyricism, flow, content, rhyme structure, etc. Like not getting caught up in doing one particular thing so much that I lose sight of the other. Rappers tend to do that alot. Be a great lyricist with no subject or have amazing content with no lyricism and especially being too realistic and not abstract enough to let the mind wonder (Common, Talib, Tupac, etc.) Just having the perfect blend of all intangible and tangible qualities and utilizing them to the best of ones ability. 

DD: Who influences you as an artist?

CG: Ahhh, I would have to say Kanye, Em, Blu, Jay, MF DOOM, Cudi, Charles Hamilton, Kendrick Lamar, every member of the Klan, Lupe, Lauryn Hill, Tyler, The Creator, 2007 Wale, Q-Tip, and Drake. I think you hear influences from every single artist I just named in every single song that I do. But the trick is to always flip your influence and make it your own.

DD: True, true. Who would you want to collab with most if you had the choice of any artist in time?

CG: I would have to say between Lauryn Hill or Kid Cudi...*laughs*, but all jokes aside. Petey Pablo. That nigga gotta sick reputation for handlin broads.  

DD: *laughs* If you could choose any record label who would it be, or would you remain indie if successful?

CG: I think I'd much rather stay indie if I was successful with it, yah know. Not worrying about record label politics and Suge Knight going to my mama house with the tech. But if God had the strap to my foot and said pick a label right now. I think I'd get rich or die trying with G.O.O.D. music before anybody. I definitely wouldn't expect them to put me on tho...no disrespect to Consequence. *laughs* 

DD: Favorite genres of music besides Rap/Hip-Hop?

CG: NeoSoul is definitely my LEAST favorite genre with Gospel Strip Club Gogo being at the top of my list *chuckles*. But nah g, NeoSoul is my favorite genre of all time but I love Hip-Hop more if that makes sense...recently I been falling in love with Metal. Black Sabbath is ill as fuck and Lynyrd Skynyrd is an ill ass rock band g.

DD: Name one song or album you wished you made.

CG: Jackpot. Chingy had the world eating out of the palm of his St.Louis hands b.

DD: Respect. Goal for your career now and in the future?

CG: I want to have cult following soooooo fucking bad. But, stay relevant and live off of music. Like, support my family and pay bills, travel, afford bitches, buy clothes, afford bitches, make love to rihanna, afford bitches. 

DD: In ten years....

CG:.....afford bitches. Fight drake. Afford bitches. Maintain bitches. Still be relevant in Hip-Hop and in Pop culture as well. Shmang all the bitches I bought at least 16 times a day, and own a juice company that sells biscuits.

DD:*laughs* Any shout outs or last words?

CG: YEAH! Shoutout to all my real niggas holdin it down up Halliburton. My nigga Jarvis (my bush). All the producers I worked with, Mikeyy, Louseph Bruise, Matt Mcghee, and Vaughn G. My sensais Stefisdope, 431 and Nate G. My main bitch Ashaquawanika from 34th n Minnesota. Teni's grandmother. Kool Klux Klan. My dick. KeeKee from Trinidad for holdin me down when I needed that zebra cake up at Suitland Station. The Carryout prod. Jamal safe ass Gray and Maryam short ass. Matt McGhee & Grande Marshall trill asses. My mother and pops for giving birth to a real nigga. That nigga Lord Slug. All the fly shortys that ever let me shmang...WADDUP! Barack Obama for believing in me back when we was in detention. Lil Wayne for setting the bar so low and the greatest up and coming photographers/cinematographers Penelope Airplane (@HannahBongtanna)  and Aliyah Sahar (@AliyahSahar) and most importantly any fan that I have out there, fuck you. I DONT FUCK WITH THESE NIGGAS....AND YOU SHOULDNT EITHER B. *looks around and hopes nobody notices this is my first interview*

DD: Thanks to Chick, and the whole Klan for it's support. 

rMell - Crewneck Season ft Nomad

Download: Crewneck Season
 

For the first single from his upcoming project NEOGEO, rMell flips Drake's Crew Love and adds the homie Nomad for a guest verse. Look out for NEOGEO later this year.

Steezy Grizzlies - Punchout

Steezy always comes through with the dope cover art.

    Download: Punchout

        Steezy Grizzlies dropped Punchout yesterday and it comes in the form of a six dope tracks. While Punchout is short, you definitely can grasp who Steezy is as an artist, from the humor to just raw spitting. In the future I would love to hear a ten to twelve track project from him. Besides all that Punchout is definitely worth the download, and be sure to look out for future projects from the homie.

1. The Antro (By A.M Snooze) 

2. G H T O FT. KING HIPPO (prod. Plue Starfox) 

3. Sappy ASS Fist Ft. Maple Syrup

4. Ursaring (prod. Suede Moccasins) 

5. Grizzly Adams (in & out) (prod. Louseph Bruise) 

6. S T F U G (prod. mattVISTA) 

ScHoolBoy Q - Blessed ft Kendrick Lamar

 ScHoolBoy Q - Blessed ft Kendrick Lamar Prod by (Dave Free)

Q drops a new track with fellow Black Hippy member Kendrick Lamar, along with the due date for Habits & Contradictions, January 14th. I'm really excited for this album, Q has been putting in work lately on the features hopefully it'll translate over to the album.

A$AP Rocky - Pretty Flacko

Download: Pretty Flacko


Pretty Flacko is the first A$AP Rocky track of 2012, and it does not disappoint. Rocky picks up where he left off with his debut Live.Love.A$AP. behind some wavy production from SpaceGhostPurrp, he introduces us to Pretty Flocko. This is what TrillWave is suppose to sound like, expect even more from the A$AP crew in this new year.

Chuck Inglish - WRKING. (Beat Tape)

Download: WRKING.

Chuck drops off twenty dope instrumentals for the New Year, can't wait to see what people do with em'.