Gorillaz - DoYaThing ft Andre 3000 & James Murphy (Video)

Gorillaz animator Jamie Hewlett, does a great job capturing the group’s and the songs wackiness in the official video for ‘DoYaThing’. Plus LOTS of odes/references to previous Gorillaz videos makes this a interesting watch, and a must watch for fans. I spotted quite a few of them myself, be sure to check the YouTube comments for any you think you might of missed. Got a little teary-eyed (not) watching this video lol, brings back some memories. 

ScHoolBoy Q - Druggys WitH Hoes Again ft Ab-Soul (Video)

Q is back with yet another video from his latest project Habits & Contradictions this time around witH fellow TDE member Ab-Soul. Really loving how much TDE and Q Have pushed this project, witH the interviews, videos, etc. 

Sidenote: I thought he got robbed of an XXL spot, til I saw that atrocity of a list (sans Danny Brown). Why is he wearing a bear on his head? Why?

Curren$y & Styles P - #The1st28 (Mixtape)

Download: #The1st28

Spitta Andretti and The Ghost link up for this mixtape, features include Daz and Fiend. Definitely can't say I seen these two ever making a project together, but I am glad they did.

Bon Iver - Towers (Video)

Grammy award winner Bon Iver releases one of most creative videos this year, with an very interesting ending. His self-titled album Bon Iver available now.

Pharrell Discusses Composing Music For Oscars (Video)

Get More: Music Videos, Free Music Videos

Pharrell speaks on working with Hans Zimmer as musical consultant, and what it was like to be involved in helping to write every piece of music during the show.

Sample Sunday: Drake + Earth, Wind & Fire

Just a little background information, the sample series will take place either on Saturday or Sunday from now on. I'll try to do it every week, but more than likely it'll be every two.



For the first entry in the series I chose this Drake song 'Beautiful Music' because to me it's still one of, if not his best verse, and it shows just how hungry he was when he first entered the game. Also, and mostly importantly the sample which is 'Can't Find Love' by the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire. I first came across this song while listening to the radio, and I heard the melody but I couldn't exactly remember where from until the chorus kicked in, then I connected the two. Not to much else I have to say other than enjoy!

Hodgy Beats - Untitled EP

Download: Untitled EP

Hodgy releases a small nine track EP, enjoy. Tracklist below.

1. Bullshittin' Produced by Juicy J

2. Cookie Coma Produced by The Alchemist

3. Lately Produced by Flying Lotus

4. Samurai Produced by Jonti Danimals

5. In A Dream Produced by The Alchemist

6. Ave. Produced by Thelonious Martin

7. Lamented Produced by Flying Lotus

8. If Heaven Is A Ghetto Produced by Thelonious Martin

9. Higashi Loves You

DeeDotMillz - Janet Jackson

Detroit's own DeeDotMillz dropped 'Janet Jackson' the first single from his upcoming debut album which is due out April 7th. Janet Jackson on that ass!

Curren$y - Mardi Gras (What Da Fuck + #CruiseLife) (Video)

The New Orleans native shows off some of his hometowns Mardi Gras festivities set to the tunes of What Da Fuck and #CruiseLife from his Here EP. Also seems like Spitta and Styles P cooked up a collab tape.

J.Cole - Grew Up Fast

Download: Grew Up Fast



To celebrate reaching two million followers on Twitter, J.Cole releases Grew Up Fast. This is that good ol' Cole that were used. Spitting to a soulful sample, although at times the beat sounds a bit Drake-ish, it still is a great track from Cole.

Sidenote: The fuck Diggy line was hilarious.

BJ The Chicago Kid - The World Is A Ghetto ft Kendrick Lamar

Download: The World Is A Ghetto



BJ harmonizes over some soulful production while K-Dot spits a few bars. While this isn't as good as their last collaboration His Pain, it makes for an easy listen. You can grab both tracks and more from BJ's latest project Pineapple Now-Laters.

Gorillaz - DoYaThing ft James Murphy & Andre 3000

Download: DoYaThing



A funky new cut from the Gorillaz, featuing James Murphy and Andre 3000 who absolutely sounds at home over this production. 3K does the damn thing. Good to see Gorillaz making music again, after their little break up.

French Montana - Shot Caller Remix ft Diddy & Rick Ross (Video)

The official video for the remix is here, new verse from French, Diddy talks too much. Rick Ross does his thing as usual, when I first heard this track I felt it was a Ross record so it's good to hear him on this banger from Harry Fraud.

Cal Rips - Thumbs Up (Mixtape)

Download: Thumbs Up

Thumbs Up, the second mixtape from the Kool Klux Klan's own Cal Rips is finally here. With features from Chick Gaynor, SiR E.U, and DeMarco Taylor. Great production from rMell, Suede Moccasins, Louseph, and Avion. Thirteen tracks full of great music, from a great artist.

Odd Future - Rella (Video)

The first single from OF Tape V.2 gets the video treatment, decent track from the gang, but the video is the real highlight here. As usual with OF's latest videos you can expect a lot of crazy shit, from a fat girl twerking, slapping everything/one possible to a rapping minotaur. Domo steals the show for me though, his verse and part in the video.

Wale - Slight Work ft Big Sean (Video)

For his next single, 'Slight Work' Wale grabs Big Sean and Chris Brown makes his directorial debut with what looks like Look At Me Pt.2 to me....meh...average song, even more average video. Wale's Ambition in stores now.

Blu - UCLA (Album)

Download|Stream: UCLA

Once again we get a Blu project out of no where, I'm not complaining though. Blu hooks up with Madlib just as he did with Jesus and that same aural, spacey sound is featured. Official release date is February 22nd, but you can stream it from Blu's Bandcamp early, or cop it for the price of fifteen dollars. UPDATE: Apparently Madlib didn't have anything to do with this project. S/O to Back2Pluto.

The Cool Kids - Rush Hour Traffic (Video)

Directed by Joey Garfield

The Cool Kids show off Chicago in their latest visuals for Rush Hour Traffic from their album When Fish Ride Bicycles, now available in stores and iTunes. 

Kendrick Lamar - Cartoon & Cereal ft Gunplay

Download: Cartoon & Cereal


New banger from Kendrick, on this Valentine's Day featuring MMG's own Gunplay. Who really suprised me, I really like him on this track. It seems like Kendrick can pull out great verses from anyone. No word on if this is from Kendrick's debut album. To be continued...

Johny Locus - Something To Listen To (Mixtape + Mini Review)

Download:  Something To Listen To

Let's start with a small introduction. Johny Locus is a rapper from D.C. and apart of the SNB, he has only been rapping for seven months and this is his second mixtape. I just want to say that's pretty impressive, now to the tape itself. Something To Listen To is just that, something to listen to while the production and the rhymes don't disappoint they also don't necessarily impress. Let me be clear Johny Locus is a great rapper to have only been rapping for a couple of months, and I do believe he has a bright future. I feel that if he takes sometime to hone his skill, and find his sound his next tape will be great. That being said, STLT is still a awesome listen and one of the best submissions I've ever got. I would definitely recommend you check it out, and I look forward to seeing how Johny progresses with his next project.

Production: 7.5/10
Lyrics: 7.5/10
Replayability: 7/10

Steezy Grizzlies - 500

Download: 500


While we await for G.U.N.D.A.M.'s release, Steezy Grizzlies drops a Punchout "throwaway". First off, great track from the homie Steezy, definitely a different sound from him. rMell did a awesome job with the production, and Steezy does his thing also. I actually prefer this kind of track from the Grizzly God, it fits him well.

Phonte - The Good Fight (Video)

Directed by Kenneth Price

Can never go wrong with some new Tigallo, right? Phonte's Charity Starts At Home in stores now, definitely one of the most slept on projects of 2011. Truth is it was probably better than your favorite rapper's best album.

Digital Drop Presents: The Rap Up With Steezy Grizzlies

Digital Drop: First off, thanks for doing the interview.

   

Steezy Grizzlies: Thank you for having my coon ass, it kinda cool to be in a interview.

DD: Alright, who is Steezy Grizzlies for those who don't know?

   

SG: Steezy Grizzlies is a 18 year old, black kid from Washington D.C. Who loves to skate, make music and ball on these hoes *laughs*. He also, is a young coon who don't take no shit, who takes the roof off the whip know it don't make no sense. *laughs again* I don't know if I can curse so sorry.

DD: *laughs* It's cool. Explain your name and how you created it.

SG: Ummmmm well I like bears,  I never knew why. Every since I was like five and shit. I been called Steezy since I started skating, which means style with easy. I always wanted to have the best looking tricks. So when I started rapping I called myself, Steezy Snapback which was kinda lame. So later I  just called myself Steezy Grizzly, but I wanted to have muti styles of rapping so hints the grizzlies part.

DD: What is the SNB and who is in it?

SG: The SNB is a collective of rappers, producers and skaters I started. It is made up of me, Rashed Stark, Rapper Juduh, Ace Ventures, Kevo Bass, Day2Day, John Locus and Sketch. The homies I can't leave out is A.M and Leon Wolf. They do a lot of behind the scene stuff. We really are new, but you should be hearing about them soon enough. *laughs* Cuz we some icey ass nigga's.

DD: How do you feel Punchout represented you as an artist, and anything you wish you could have improved?

SG: I love punchout, it was my first project and it was good. It was just to show that I can put together a body of work for people to enjoy. I just wish it was more songs but whatever,  it was still good and people liked it.

DD: You have a "alter ego" named Ursaring who appears on some of your tracks, how did "he" come about?

SG: *laughs* Well Ursaring is the complete and other "coon" inside of me. The loud mouth, I don't give a fuck kid who loves grape juice *chuckles*. Although when you hear Ursaring,  I'm  trying to display my lyricism usually, just to balance in my music.  

DD: I see, that's pretty clever. I always like to ask artist this question. If you could be signed to any label right now, who and why, or would you rather remain indie if you had success?

SG: XL Records or Fools Gold, just because they really just give their artist control of their music. All they do is push it to the masses.   

DD: That's a unique answer, I didn't expect either one of those most artist tend to pick G.O.O.D. Anyway what is your overall goal for your music career?

SG: Mainly to make music for people all over the world to enjoy and to travel the world performing. 

DD: Explain the title of your next project G.U.N.D.A.M. stands for and what it means.

SG: G.U.N.D.A.M. stands for Grizzly Under New Dictatorship After Mosiyah. Mosiyah is my real name and I love the anime GUNDAM so it all fits *laughs*.  

DD: What can people expect from G.U.N.D.A.M.?

SG: Just better beats, better rapping, better features and to see who I'm as a artist. Hopefully after this I can ball on these niggas a little bit more. 

DD: As always any shout outs, or last words?

SG: Ummm, staying icey isn't a job it's a life style. Bling Blowa Burr Shorty I'm a Eskimo. Plus I want to give a shout to EU, Chick, Mell and The Klan. Chess Team, Osp, PlueStarFox, Lou and S.M for lacing me with that heem (beats). Aliyah for having my back. Rashad,  John, Day and the whole SNB. Lil Bre, Jai, Alexis, and Sarah for having my back too. Syce Game. I can't forget C.J., Matt Mcghee, and Maple Syrup hoe ass. You, and the other blogs for giving my ugly ass blog love.

Cal Rips - Goodfellas II ft SiR E.U

Download: Goodfellas II


Another Thursday, another ill joint from Cal Rips. Some real smooth shit from the Klansmen. Cal's project Thumbs Up drops on February 20th.

The Throne (Kanye West & Jay-Z) - Niggas In Paris

Directed by Kanye West

The duo known as The Throne released the video for their annoying hit single, the video itself is just concert performance footage but add some epilepsy inducing special effects and you got a music video.

Earl Sweatshirt - Home

Stream: Home

The first track from the recently freed Earl Sweatshirt. I don't know what to think it sounds legit, I hope this isn't some elaborate joke by Tyler. Anyway while it's not the production your used to hearing from Earl, the skills are still there somewhat. Welcome home Earl.

Rashad Stark - SNB Anthem ft Steezy Grizzlies

Download: SNB Anthem


Making his debut on the blog is DMV rapper and SNB member Rashad Stark. Rashad reps his team with this joint and is joined by fellow SNB member/co-founder and the homie Steezy Grizzlies. His upcoming project Finally A Hero will be out sometime in March. The track is pretty dope, be sure to check the rest of his music over at his SoundCloud and hit him up on Twitter @RashadStark.

Curren$y - What Da Fuck

Download: What Da Fuck


My favorite track from the Here EP, classic Spitta...at his best.

ScHoolBoy Q x A$AP Rocky Project In The Works (Video)

For some dumbass reason MTV only allows this video to be watched on their site.

Q speaks on what he and Rocky have in the works, the possibility of them doing a mixtape saying "The timing has to be right".  I would get excited but we have heard this before, Wayne & Juelz/Drake/T-Pain/Lloyd and plenty of other artists.

Odd Future - OF Tape Vol.2 (Cover Art)

For OF Tape Vol.2, Odd Future decides to put Lucas on the cover art. I can’t decide who’s creepier Lucas or the clown for Vol.1 anyway March 20th is the date. Hopefully we’ll get an Earl appearance or at least the “legendary” Llama verse.

Chick Gaynor - Lucifer's Lugie

Download: Lucifer's Lugie


Lord Slug came equipped with the first single from his upcoming project Origami. I like what I hear from Chick on this track. He really hasn't made a song with this certain style or sound, and I always thought the low pitch effect was cool and he uses it well here. Props to Mike Of Doom for the production, very dope. Also, once again each time I hear the man his flow improves, can't wait to see what he has in store for Origami due out March 20th.

SpaceGhostPurrp - God Of Blvck V.1 (Mixtape + Review)

Download: God Of Blvck V.1

I held off on posting this because I wanted to listen to it personally, that being said it has been one of my favorite tapes so far of 2012. God Of Blvck evokes a dark moody feeling such as his "twin" A$AP Rocky did with Live.Love.A$AP. (hope those two do a tape together soon). However that's where the comparison ends, SGP creates his own unique sound with GoB. While his rhymes have definitely improved from his last tape, it's his production that really stands out and makes this a must listen.

With his first tape Blackland Radio 66.6 it felt like his was kinda riding Lil B's wave, but with this tape he creates his own. The production is out of this world, what SGP personally calls phonk. I could only describe it as 90's East Coast fused with Funk and TrillWave. I can see him becoming one of the most prominent producers in the next year or so. With his rhymes improving and his top-notch production skills, SGP is definitely a artist to look out for in the near future. RVIDXR KLVN.

Production: 10/10
Lyrics: 8.5/10
Replayability: 9/10

Standout Tracks: Elevate, Twistin', Don't Give A Damn, & Mystical Maze

Blu - jesus (Video)

Blu drops a video for the Madlib-produced title track off his jesus∆ EP.

Curren$y - Here EP

Download: Here

Spitta drops a 5 track EP, and as to come expected with Curren$y it's dope. Definitely has a old school Curren$y feel to it, back in his Cash/Young Money days. I'm feeling it though. This is the first of what should be many releases this year from Tha Hot Spitta.

M.I.A. - Bad Girls (Video)

Latepass, I had been meaning to get around to watching/posting this video. M.I.A. always makes dope music and while this isn't my personal favorite from her it's a nice song. The video though is the reason I posted this, the car scenes alone would warrant a post. Even though it's early in the year this is definitely the video of 2012 so far.

Drake - Practice (Video)

The unofficial video for Drake's Practice is something else, featuring model Kyra Chaos whom I've never seen nor heard of but wished I did sooner. Drizzy is also taking video submissions, so if any ladies out there wanna try to do it better, which I doubt, hit up OVO.

Cal Rips- Strawberry Rello (Video)

Shot & edited by @stevedreez 

Man.....Cal just linked me to this joint, first off dope video for what it is, definitely captures the simplistic feel of the track. Louseph did a awesome job with the production and Cal does the same with the lyrics, his flow seems like it was apart of the beat itself. Anyway definitely one of my favorites joints from the man, and be sure to look out for his next project Thumbs Up due out February 20th.

Big K.R.I.T. - Boobie Miles

Download: Boobie Miles


K.R.I.T. released this late last night, as the first official track from his upcoming 4evaNaDay mixtape due out February 20th. This will not serve as the first single though, that will be called "I Got This" and will be released in the next few days. A very smooth cut from K.R.I.T. as always and self-produced as always lol. Words from the king himself:

"the 1st song i wanted 2 release from #4evaNaDay is called Boobie Miles. Its about over coming all the obstacles that block your dreams, the sacrifices that come with how hard you have to go to obtain your goal, giving your all no matter what the situation, the only difference between a winner N a loser is a winner plays until he wins"

VICE and Project X's Party Legends: Tyler, The Creator

Tyler talks about the craziest party he has be involved in which includes a machete and a stolen lab top.

A$AP Rocky Meets His Namesake Rakim

For those who don't know, A$AP Rocky was named after the God Emcee Rakim. Story goes one day in Harlem Rocky's mother saw Rakim and got him to sign Rocky's diaper. Angie Martinez set up the meeting between the fellow New Yorkers. Anyway peep the video it's pretty cool to see Rocky and his mother's reaction. See the video below for more of Rocky and Rakim meeting.

Big K.R.I.T. - 4evaNaDay (Cover Art)

K.R.I.T. releases the cover art (very dope) for his next project 4evaNaDay due out soon. Peep the partial tracklist, spotted at 2DBZ.

Yelawolf - I Do (Freestyle)

Download: I Do


Yela! Spits over Jeezy's latest single and does what Jeezy and his guests couldn't do and give justice to the dope instrumental. Radioactive in stores now.

Sidenote: Can we all agree that Jay-Z's "I D.O, I D.O, I D.O, Oh oh" is one of the worst beginnings to a verse ever.

Lil B -White Flame

Download: White Flame

BasedGod is back with the long awaited White Flame, follow up to his Blue and Red Flame mixtapes. Twenty one tracks is a bit much for a Lil B tape in my opinion or for anyone. Anyway, check the cover which is a rip of(f) Soulja Slim's Give It 2 'Em Raw.