KANYE WEST INTERVIEW WITH DJ SEMTEX

You don't know how refreshing it is to hear Kanye West doing interviews again. Just four years after the release of College Dropout, he's unquestionably the biggest thing in hip-hop and arguably the face of today's music generation.

What's amazing about Kanye's success is that he knew it was all going to go down like in this one way or another. I wouldn't have believe anyone who told me that the backpacker from Chicago who produced Jay-Z's "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" was readily going to become the international superstar he is today. Dreams just don't happen like that in hip-hop.

Now two day away from the release of his most innovative album yet, 808s & Heartbreak, Kanye West is still pushing boundaries, setting trends, and redefining his craft in a way no rapper has ever done before. Expecting the unexpected is no longer suitable for an artist like Kanye because it's nearly impossible to know what's really "unexpected."

DJ Semtex interviewed Mr. West as he completes the European leg of his Glow in the Dark Tour. The 30-minute conversation recites in-depth details on the project, the reason why Kanye doesn't listen to rap music, the features of his perfect, girl, and more. Be on the lookout for my review on 808s & Heartbreak which will be posted very soon!


Download: Kanye West interview with DJ Semtex

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MURS' HIP-HOP IQ IS BIGGER THAN YOUR FAVORITE RAPPER'S

Impressive. Very impressive. I'm a blogger who writes about hip-hop on a daily basis and this makes me look bad at times. After countless interviews of declaring himself a hip-hop guru, Murs effortlessly backs up his words by trouncing over Crazy Alcayne's hip-hop trivia test. I am confident that the vast majority of rappers earning tens of millions of dollars a year can't nearly match Murs' surprisingly stature. Hip-hop knowledge may not be a vital characteristic for an outstanding MC, but it sure counts for bragging rights. And that's what rappers love. Bragging rights.

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CLIPSE TO RELEASE FIRST PLAY CLOTHS T-SHIRT ONLINE

The wait is finally over! This Friday Virginia Beach duo Clipse will officially launch their clothing line Play Cloths with a simplistic logo-inspired t-shirt. A stupendous amount of fans have been anticipating the brand's launch for over a year now (including myself) so it's only right to release the debut tee exclusively online where everyone has a chance to grab one. The limited edition shirt will be available sharply at 9:00 PM PST through Play Cloths' website. More products should be rolling in to retailers and online just in time for the holiday season.

Related post: PUSHA T TALKS PLAY CLOTHS WITH HIGHSNOBIETY

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KEYS 2 THE CITY: OAKLAND WITH RAPHAEL SAADIQ (PART 1)

Raphael Saadiq is a man who never forgets his roots. And whenever you get a musician who always represents the people and places that made him the artist he is today, it's a guaranteed advantage for success. Raphael's first album in four years, The Way It Is, is a exquisitely executed throwback-project that surely brought back the true definition of soul music.

While many listeners were able to compare the album's vintage characteristics to the past, Raphael's recordings served as one of my first glimpses into an auto-tune-less period where a person's untarnished devolution to music was the only thing that mattered. In imeem's exclusive web video series "Keys 2 the City," Oakland-native Raphael Saadiq walks you through the setting that is responsible for all of his success - Castlemont High.

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THE ROOTS PERFORMING 'LOVELY, LOVE MY FAMILY' ON YO GABBA GABBA!

Please don't retire! Lol. Look at Questlove cracking up at 0:36.

Download: The Roots - Lovely, Love My Family (Live on Yo Gabba Gabba!)

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AUDIO: LUDACRIS FT. NAS & JAY-Z - I DO IT FOR HIP-HOP

Now this is what they call poetry in motion. Yowzers. How did Luda score this champion line-up again? Maybe his respect among rappers in the hip-hop community is stronger than I thought. I wasn't initially going to listen to Ludacris' Theater of the Mind (my system can't take that much Luda in one sitting) but after dissecting this record and peeping the album's track list, my hip-hop conscious won't allow me to miss it.

The caliber of the listed producers is one of the strongest I've seen all year. In addition to "I Do It For Hip-Hop," Ludacris has a couple more conscious joints with DJ Premier and 9th Wonder. The features are even more staggering: The Game, Jamie Foxx, Common, Lil Wayne, and I'm just getting started. This could mean two things: 1) Ludacris unconsciously views himself as a degrading veteran who can't deliver on his own or 2) Ludacris consciously views himself as a proven veterant who doesn't need to deliver on his own. I'll take the latter.

"I Do It For Hip-Hop," produced by Wyldfyer, is the third time Hova and Nasty Nas hook up on the same record and it's the first time the New Yorkers are accompanied by another MC. The other collaborations between the two appear on Nas' "Black Republicans," also produced by Wyldfyer, and Jay-Z's "Success." You make the call: Which is the best Jay-Z and Nas collaboration? Remember, there's an upcoming one in the works - "Swagger Like Us (Part 2)."


Regardless of how well the collaboration lives up to its predecessors, "I Do It For Hip-Hop" has to rank among the most memorable tracks composed about an artist's love for hip-hop in record memory. A number of songs come to mind such as Hi-Tek's "Music For Life," Zion I's "Bird Eye's View," and Joell Ortiz's "Hip Hop." But what makes Luda's record so different is that it's sincere, earnest, and thoughtful, but straight hood at the same time. Call it..."poetry in motion."

Download: Ludacris ft. Nas & Jay-Z - I Do It For Hip-Hop

The download link is currently the clean version, I'll update it to explicit once it's available. Check out Ludacris' interview at a recent Cleveland Cavaliers game after the jump.

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VIDEO: COLDPLAY FT. JAY-Z - LOST (REMIX)

I've never been a huge fan of live concert music videos, but this one's going to have to do. Why? Because it's Coldplay and Jay-Z.

Related post: JAY-Z & COLDPLAY - VIVA LA HOVA (ALBUM)

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CEE-LO INTERVIEW WITH DJ Z OF DJBOOTH.NET

My good friend from the Chi DJ Z nailed down one of hip-hop's Dirty South originators Cee-Lo Green for quick interview at Miller Genuine Draft's "Genuine Flow" concert last Thursday. Cee-Lo performed alongside recent retirees The Roots at the famous Vic Theater in Chicago. The soft-spoken rapper singer musician spoke about president-elect Barack Obama (of course), his long history with The Roots, his multiple projects for next year, and his favorite companies of beer. Visit DJBooth.net for performance pictures and more detailed coverage of the event.

Update: I embedded a video of Cee-Lo performing "Who Gonna Save My Soul" backed by The Roots after the jump.

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ROC-A-FELLA'S 2001 FREESTYLE SESSION ON HOT 97 (PART 3)

Here's the third installment from DJ Cipha Sound's long lost footage of Roc-A-Fella's ridiculous one-hour freestyle session on Hot 97 with the Flex back in 2001. This segment is a slaying of LL Cool J's "I Shot Ya" from his multi-platinum LP Mr. Smith.

Related post: ROC-A-FELLA'S 2001 FREESTYLE SESSION ON HOT 97 (PARTS 1 & 2)

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BENNY GOLD'S DOUGHBOY NEW ERA HAT

Benny Gold produced another New Era fitted cap that once again doesn't disappointed. Inspired by Dough Boy, Ice Cube's character in John Singleton's classic flick Boyz in the Hood, Gold flipped the Detroit "D" to match his brand. He also embroiled his signature paper plane logo on the side in addition to satin argyle under the brim. This highly anticipated hat will be available the upcoming weeks. More detailed pics are after the jump.

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AMANDA DIVA, CHARLES HAMILTON, SKYZOO, MICKEY FACTZ, WALE, AND CORY GUNZ FREESTYLE

BET's wack for this one. Did it seriously take XXL's December cover for the station to finally take notice of hip-hop's neglected talent outside of BET's tiny circle of artists? What ever happened to the days when music television played a video just because they wanted to? The problems resides in the notion that mainstream media is no longer willing to take risks. It's now up to the people to stand up and voice their opinions on what they think should be heard.

No one wants to hear Soulja Boy anymore, but BET doesn't know that because the channel is only catering to an enclosed demographic of the hip-hop community. Vote for Q-Tip's video to appear on "106 & Park." Vote for Common and Kidz in the Hall's videos. Watching the music videos I want, when I want on the Internet is cool, but there's something different about turning on your television and seeing your new favorite video randomly appearing on the screen. I miss that.

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VIDEO: GYM CLASS HEROES FT. ESTELLE - GUILTY AS CHARGED

When I saw Gym Class on tour with The Roots last month, the crowd went absolutely nuts the second the band started to perform this record. It was pretty painful if you ask me. Ambushed and enmeshed in a pit full of barbaric females screaming "Travis!!!" at the top of their lungs was definitely not what I had in mind. And Estelle unexpectedly emerging from backstage didn't help either.

Could this be the reason why The Roots decided to temporarily retire from touring? I understand the purpose of using their legendary recognition as a helping hand for the new bread of hip-hop bands, but Gym Class Heroes? Come on. I would retire too if I had to travel with them around the country for a month.

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