Benz and a Backpack

The sole reason why “New York State of Mind” is as popular as it is (that’s right Jay-Z, I said it) is because Alicia Keys knows how to carry a melody. And with all these soft chicks jumping on tracks with your favorite artists (cough* Hayley Williams) its nice to see Miss Keys holding down some of these tracks not just for the girls out there, but for the gangsters too.

Her single “Unthinkable,” as dope as it is by itself (yeah, I listen to it by myself at night, so what?), has been recorded over by the likes of Drake, Lloyd Banks and even Shyne – thats right, the man that did 10 years in the Pen even has a soft side when it comes to A. Keys. I don’t know what it is about her, but it doesn’t seem to matter WHO is rapping on the beat, as long as Alicia is in there somewhere, the track is probably going to kill. Thus, I’m deeming Alicia Keys my ‘gangster chick’ for 2010. Check these few versions of ‘Unthinkable’ and let me know if you agree.

Featuring Drake, a solid duo:

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Eminem’s finally getting back into the freestyle game. This is his newest freestyle in which he first spits over Drake’s “Over” and then over Lloyd Banks’ “Beamer, Benz and Bentley”.

DOWNLOAD: EMINEM – Despicable Freestyle (Over/Beamer, Benz, Bentley)

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Dropped earlier today from the Yaowa King and Capo, official visuals for their remix of Lloyd Banks’ ‘Beamer, Benz, or Bentley.’ Shouts to all our fam at the Joe Budden/Joell Ortiz show tonight in Providence, if we weren’t going up with Midnight Madness (stream it here) then we would’ve been there for sure.

Previously: Joell Ortiz ft. Jim Jones – Nissan, Honda, Chevy (Beamer, Benz, or Bentley Remix)

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Rumors are that this one will be on Lloyd Banks upcoming solo album (title still TBA). If not, it will at least get you hyped for it. See what we thought about Banks a few months back here. Shouts to Party and the Noodle for bringin’ this one to my attention.

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The past year marked a lot of change for me, and my tastes in hip hop responded accordingly. I wouldn’t say they “matured” as much as they branched out. I still like the stuff I’ve grown up on, but I’m getting into artists that have been around for years and are still well-respected in small, loyal circles (AZ, Rakim, Cormega) as well as the newest crop of young talent (Novel, XV, J Cole, Wiz Khalifa). I’ve assembled my list of top 10 tracks of ’09 which I probably could have assembled just as easily if I had an Ipod and put the top 10 highest played in here… but this required a little more thinking. And that’s a good thing. Hit the skip to peep the hottest tracks of the 09 year with artists ranging from Lloyd Banks to Jay Electronica.

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Beef and G-Unit go together like T-Pain and autotune; like Flava Flav and selling out; like rap and rhyming; no, like sex and Lady Gaga. Yes, that’s the one, see, because Lady Gaga uses her sexuality (whatever it may be) not only as a theme for much of her music, but as a selling point for it. G-Unit have been the same way since their inception – if they’re not beefing amongst themselves – or with Cam’ron, Ja Rule, Rick Ross, The Game, Joe Budden, Fat Joe, Skinny Joe, St. Joseph or Joey Partynski (I made those last few up) – then they’re rapping about beefin’ on the streets, stayin’ cold in the streets, runnin’ the streets or makin’ it hot in the streets. And if we’ve learned anything about rap along the way, it is that beef sells, even in a recession.

Now I have my own theory on why there’s all this beef within this close-knit crew, but I’ll reserve it ’til after I give a little history of Young Buck’s beef with the Unit and his recent efforts to make it live. Hit the skip to read on this and also hear the newest, beefiest tracks from Buck and the response of the G-Unit camp. Read the rest of this entry →

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For all those Doom heads who may not have seen this, you’ll be glad to know Madlib and Metal Fingers are currently working on a second album together. This week we’ve got an eclectic collection of music from all kinds of artists: Kidz In The Hall, Lloyd Banks, Sean P!, Raekwon, Nickel Nine, and Statik Selektah. Big ups also to Radio B, the Richmond, VA native who broke into the game as a battle rapper and transformed himself into a complete emcee. Hit the skip to peep his tracks, both of which are dope, as well as a highlight from this weekend’s football hoop-la that is bound to impress.

Raekwon – Crime Wave Freestyle

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Radio B – This Is My Life

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Sean P – Street Shit (off the Kimbo Price Mixtape)

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Co$$ – No Allah

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It’s always been blunts and beats, bud and streets. From now to the beginning, music is the drug…

I
Yelling: fuck the radio! fuck the radiooo!
Thinking: he’s gotta do “One-Mic”
Passing: the last of a joint, a bottle
Hearing: from behind me, joining in “fuck the radio,” my boy Okafor.
Feeling: gifted
On the Main Green. Shoulder to shoulder with Okafor, middle fingers in the air, we scream till our throats bleed, chanting “Fuck the radiooo.” Shortly after we could be seen trying to freestyle a bit. And he does One Mic, almost killed it, killed the bottle during it. Even later we would be heard yelling “hip-hop bravehearts,” or “fuck the police.” They throw the lights on us, then the brights – the concert-over-lights, and he left the stage. Not just a little too fucked up, riled up, and, still with middle fingers up, I yell “I. fuckin. love-” and Oke joins in “hip-hop!” There’s no echo. There’s no encore. But it doesn’t matter. Wasn’t about Nas anyway.

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Harder than ever, the Boy Wonder is coming.

I remember back in the DAY, them blunt rides in Johnny Audi days, toast til we die, rollin up the weed and blowin smoke in the sky days.

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Til the End was that essential track for me when it came to Lloyd Banks. It exemplified his craft as lyricist, writer and street king. Off his debut album “The Hunger for More,” it seemed Banks had big things set up for him in the future.

It was argued, thereafter, that Interscope Records (to which he was signed) and the Unit, particularly 50, pushed Banks towards an agenda that didn’t really give him full freedom as a rapper. Then again it was 2006, and when Rotten Apple came out popcorn hooks and beats were all the rage, especially within the G-unit crew. 50 was trying to sell albums, using beefs with Rick Ross and The Game as publicity. Rotten Apple opened to poor reviews and less-than-expected sales, but there were some tracks that let us know that Banks still has somethin tight.

“different day same shit/ the media and paparazzi love/ envy and betrayal my heart’s cold as hockey gloves… niggas feel different/cause everything is good/ they actin like i changed/ like i went hollywood/ like i dont keep it street/ like i aint got the heat/ like i aint homicide all over the beat/ like i aint for the beef/ like i dont really care/ niggas think i’m changed/ we can do it anywhere.”

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ooo boy, go in Banks, go in!

Download here

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