Benz and a Backpack

There will surely be more to come on the subject, but Snoop Dogg came through Providence for Brown University’s Spring Weekend and wrecked the stage with an ease that I’ve never seen before. He was wearing his classic black shades and using a ridiculously ostentatious microphone, and it felt like the DPGC big man covered the entire stage his presence was so big. After blazing through a bunch of classic tracks (Next Episode, Gin and Juice) to get the crowd warm, Snoop brought Kurupt and Daz on stage and things really got poppin’. The three emcees rolled around the stage, oozing a happy-go-lucky West Coast confidence that permeated through the audience for a close to an hour and sent them home in a daze of contentment.

Clutch has some great post-show stories to tell, but right before he left the stage Snoop told the three things everyone should do when they wake up:

1. Brush Your Teeth

2. Thank God You’re Alive

3. Smoke Weed

Words of wisdom from one of the best performers (and as it turns out, nicest people) of our time. Hit the skip for brand new tracks from J. Cole, Lupe, Jeezy, Freddie Gibbs, Jay Elect, Blu, M.O.P. and more.

J. Cole – We On

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Gil Scott-Heron ft. Nas – New York Is Killing Me

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Lupe Fiasco ft. Alicia Keys – Love Letter To The Beat

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B.o.B. ft. T.I. – Not Lost

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We’ve seen a couple collaborations between Snoop and CuDi of late, the most recent of which (“I Do My Thing”) was produced by none other than Dr. Dre. All old school Snoop (and tree) lovers take notice: there’s a new toker in town.

CuDi’s making waves not only in the music world but also in the realm of television. He plays the bottle-popping, easy-going Domingo on HBO’s newest hit series How To Make It In America. CuDi’s character is peripheral (so far), but the show itself taps into hip hop culture in a big way: the two main characters were raised on hip hop in New York City, and now in their late 20′s and with little direction in life they team up to start a denim line called Crisp.

Hit the skip for new CuDi X Snoop, plus a full Mixtape Monday stuffed with goodies from all over the industry (including the very first single off Drake’s upcoming official album AND the first four episodes of How To Make It In America!).

Kid CuDi ft. Snoop Dogg – I Do My Thing [prod. Dr. Dre] [prod. Watts & Ringo]

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Little Brother – Curtain Call

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Drake – Over [prod. Boi-1da]

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It’s that time of year again. The 2010 Grammy Nominations just rolled in, and as we lay expectantly in the cut we can chalk up a few small victories for hip hop in the midst of this pop-dominated music world. Although Taylor Swift, Lady GaGa, Kings of Leon, Beyonce, Kanye West and many other mainstream-pop-centric (yup, I said it, that’s where Kanye lives now) artists received a large percentage of the nominations, a few nominations in particular should bring smiles to the faces of hip hop heads ’round the world. Hit the skip for the full list of the Grammy Nominations, plus the standouts.
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To wrap up the first weekend of the NFL, the Bills and Patriots will face off tonight on Monday Night Football. What a weekend it was: Adrian Peterson proved why he is THE big man on campus, Mark Sanchez impressed just about every ESPN analyst, and Drew ‘Playing Quarterback is a’ Brees was lights out. Tune in to ESPN tonight at 7pm for Tom Brady’s return to action. Hit the skip for Drake, Brother Ali, Phonte, and Sean Price.

KRS-One & Buckshot – Past Present Future ft. Melanie Fiona & Naledge (of Kidz in the Hall)
KRS-One is signed to Duck Down…which makes no sense artistically, but from an industry stand point it’s more understandable than it seems at first glance.

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Fashawn – Lost In New York
Saw the boy Fashawn at a Roots jam this summer in NYC, and he held it down.

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Raekwon ft. Jadakiss & Styles P – Broken Safety
Off OB4CLII. The Chef + D-Block reps = GOOD

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Ghostface Killah ft. Fabolous & Shareefa – Guest House
Ghostdini’s new album, The Wizard of Poetry, drops soon. Album artwork here.

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As I’m sitting in Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in North Carolina I thought it’d only be appropriate to do a quick post on Durham-based hip hop duo Little Brother. The group is comprised of emcees Big Pooh and Phonte, and have close ties to producer 9th Wonder, who was an official member of the group before leaving to pursue a solo career as a producer. North Carolina isn’t often considered a hip-hop hot spot, but with J. Cole comin up and several firmly established veterans (note: this does not include Petey Pablo), it’s possible that the Tar Heel state does hip-hop almost as well as they do college hoops. I don’t think we’ve ever mentioned Little Brother on this site before, so with all the attention we’ve been giving J.Cole, it’s only fair to spread the word about these hip-hop vets. Their latest mixtape Get Back to Basics (July ’09) is a great place to start if you’ve never heard these guys before. Peep the whole thing below:

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