40 Dash - The Sandman

My dude 40 Hit me with the exclusive...

check it out...

http://www.zshare.net/audio/617812349f507fbf/

Mos Def - Latest Innovation In Selling His Album

In a rather bold and ground breaking move, Mos Def is selling t-shirts as his album. Linking up with lnaclothing.com the shirts will come with a unique download code, in which purchasers of the shirts can download the album free off the net. Though soundscan will currently not count the shirts sales as units sold for the record. Though in reality, I think that will matter not to Mos Def if he reaches the satisfying figures with the shirt sales.

Reference Link: HipHopdx

I honestly have to applaud Def's decision. An I won't be surprised if artists start to choose more innovative ways to market, promote and sell their works. It's just another example of how the formula's of old are losing their credibility and authenticity. It's safe to say that the Digital Independent Era is well on its way to take the industries reigns.

The Manual: Autotune... To Use Or Not To Use?

The Controversy around this plug in right now is insane, Alot of people feel a certain way... Some of the Purist/"Real Hip Hop" Community Are completely against it... Alot of The More Mainstream heads Are Completely for it and dont see what the big deal is, but I think Theres More to It, than what people Are currently looking at, and nobody has really attempted to take a close look at what all the "Fuckin' Fussins For (Because I'm Grubbin More... and I Pack Heat... Like the Oven Door") Aite, now on one end... you have a group of people that are Sick of hearing the same shit, they feel the format of comercial radio is generic and it needs to be changed. and on the other, you have a group of people who are making money off this generic music, or are into it and/or dont feel its generic.. Its just an assist to give you a more trendy sound to them, I guess... But In Any Event, I see the points of both sides, But I think their both right in some respects, but they both need a closer look at what the core of the controversy really is.

Now, I gotta Quote Jim Jones For a Second:

"We're getting money off of autotune, it's just sounding like somebody's trying to knock a hustle and I don't think that's a little bit gangster if you ask me," Jones explained. "We getting money. He's knocking the hustle, ya dig? If these young men are making money off of autotune why would you try to stop that, when you got all the money already?" (106 & Park)

See... This is where dudes is missing the point, I dont think Jay Z is Attacking dudes just to knock their hustle or Stop them from making money, To Me it looks like Jay is Tired of Mediocre Talents Making Money Off a Cheap Effect thats Played Out Anyway. Cuz First Off, If You need Autotune To make Money, Are you Really talented enough to deserve to Make it? If Autotune is the Core Of your whole Repitour, Then Why Should You have A spot in Regular Rotation when theres 50 other rappers lined up to be your spot with a million times the talent as you? You Mean To Tell Me you Aint Knocking their hustle? you Aint Making It Hard For Them? I heard Graphs "On Da Spot freestyle" And It was Sad... That dude Has crazy Talent, Along with alot of mainstream Potential, And "Pop Champagne " Is making it hard for him to Break Through, And Right Now, Jay Z Is his Only Voice on a Mainstream level.

But thats Besides the Point, the Point Is... That so many people are trying to make a quick buck off autotune, its fucking the whole genre up, and I dont care what anyone says... "Hip Hop" > "The Next Autotune Abusin ass niggas Pockets" Any day... And If they Dont like it, Then they can Take Their Music and Grow, and learn how to make a hit without autotune... Jay did it... so did Wayne, & Kanye... Which is Probably why Jay Said he wasent mad at them for it. Because I dont Think the Issue is Autotune... I think the issue is how you use it... If your a talented dude, and your using it for fun, or because its in style, and You have more to you than A Catchy autotune assited hook, than its ok, but if your really just a dude who's using autotune... and not great a much else... You need to give it a rest or step your game up.

OneFiftyOne

The Manual: Soulja boy wants to reach out to Jay, Kanye and Wayne for a Classic Album?

All Hip Hop Recently posted an Article about how Soulja boy Wants to Make a Classic album, And How he says he's Grown Up, He's no longer a Kid. Though I cant help but to feel where he's coming from, because it must be frustrating as hell to gain everything you could possibly want and acomplish everything you once thought you needed to acomplish to be dope in this game, but still lack the respect of a lot of people. I sympathize for him, but I still think he's missing the point. People arent hating on him because he never did a track with Jay Z or Kanye. There looking at him as someone who didnt respect the technical aspect of his craft and make sure is rhymes were on point, and someone who used the gimickey cheap method to force feed us more bullshit music with no point or artistic value via the radio and internet. If He's going to do the same thing he did with the last 2 albums, except these are gonna have Jay Z and Kanye on it... How in the hell is that gonna be different? Jay And Kanye might have Classic verses, but the album will be the same old shit. And this isint a hate blog... I really want to see soulja boy make a classic album, to teach this generation what a classic is, and open their eyes to the fact that theres more out their than "turning your swag on" and "Shaking your booty meat". But the truth of the matter is, Not Everyone can Make a Classic Album, and If He wants to make one He's going to need to completely step his game up, and rethink his music from the ground up.

Truth be told, I respect this statement his making more than anything, And I like how he's aware of whats going on, Theres A Huge bandwagon of people that View Him as something like the Real Hip Hop Anti-christ Like He intentionally wakes up in the mourning and thinks "hmm how am I gonna further kill hip hop" and thats probably the furthest thing from the truth, cuz he's only human, and knows only whats put infront of him, and real hip hop, rhyme skills, and classic albums might not have been that. But that doesent excuse him from the fact that he spent the greater part of his carear so far putting out bullshit. Yes, bullshit that sold... But You could paint shit gold (or ringtone platinum in this case).. and its shit none the less... I think what Soulja Boy needs Is Less of a Classic collab or Co-sign, And More Of a Mentor who has put out classic material and could school him to what a classic is really about. Because I like what he wants to do, and think in his position he would be a good person to do it if he could, but he needs more than a feature to do it.

OneFiftyOne

Chris Brown - Requests to Delay Assault Trial Denied

As we're all accustomed to the Brown/Rihanna situation which took place early this year. With pictures of the injuries Rihanna incurred due to the altercation surfacing across the net, irreparable damage has been done to Brown's career. In the latest in the trial, Brown's attorney (Mark Geragos) filed petition to delay the hearing was denied on the wednesday just past (June 17th). Brown and his attorney are due back in court this coming Monday, for the preliminary hearing. Where after its proceedings we will find out whether or not Brown is to stand trial over the assault.

Personally, regardless of his stardom or celebrity. A woman beater, is a woman beater. I hope he does time, an not no minimum security prison. He should do time just as anyone else who had done as such would. He'd wanna hope its not minimum security. He still gotta look over his shoulder for Jay-Z...

Young Jeezy - 24 23 (Gucci Mane & OJ Da Juiceman Diss)

Beef seems a never ending and constant variable in hip hop these days. An this isn't the first dispute jeezy's had with Gucci but OJ Da Juiceman? I'd never even heard of this guy until reading the May Issue of XXL. So to give you's a bit of heads up on who he be.

He's the CEO of his 32 Entertainment Record Label. Born Otis Williams Jr, 27 Years Old, straight outta Atlanta.

Oj's Myspace
MizayEntertainment.net

but back to the diss, brought to you by vladtv

Rhymefest Battles Big Daddy Kane

Had to post this up. Some great video editing here. If only we'd still get to see battles go down like this.

Rhymefest - "Yeah I was gettin with his ass"

Fest keeping it entertaining as usual. An he still holdin' onto that mask!