Larry Hoover Jr. and Others Speak To RH on Rick Ross
Rappers say a lot of things. And sometimes a lyric can spark outrage, controversy, and more. Such was the case recently when Rick Ross imagined himself to be "Big Meech" and "Larry Hoover" in "Blowing Money Fast" a new single from his newly released album, Teflon Don. While many listeners may see it as purely a good line, or another example of Hip Hop's fascination with gangster culture, others took the comments to heart in a way that few could understand. While Big Meech and Larry Hoover exist in name only to the majority of Hip Hop consumers, the two figures are friends, fathers, associates, and leaders to select groups of people and for them, Ross' words had a direct impact.
Rick Ross' reference to Larry Hoover took on a new life when Ross visited the windy city last week. For those unfamiliar, Chicago is the home of Larry Hoover, who has been serving jail time since 1973 and is currently serving his sentence in Colorado. While Ross has said that his mention of Hoover was a tribute to someone he views as a political prisoner, his reference to Hoover alongside other references to drugs, and violence did more to hurt Ross than help him. Larry Hoover Jr. and others sought out Ross during his stay in the city to talk about to him about the line, as well as explain why such a reference is an unwanted one. Following Ross' visit, Larry Hoover Jr., Jim Allen, and Gator Bradley all spoke to RubyHornet to explain their problems with the reference.
Mikkey Halsted's Beat Battle Returns 7.21.10
Mikkey Halsted's beat battle has given shine to a lot of talented producers and it returns to Reggie's tomorrow night with a fresh crop of competitors and a special appearance by Gemstones. Check out the promo video below for more info. Spots are still available to enter.
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Fat Joe: "I'm Gone" (prod. by DJ Premier)
"Gangster, f**k that, I'm Gang Starr."
Is it possible that Fat Joe re-enters the prime of his career? The newest batch cooked up by Joey Crack is some of the best I've heard from Joe in a minute. Here he gives us "I'm Gone", which is produced by DJ Premier and by the intro of this song, is actually the final song on Joe's upcoming Darkside Vol. 1. Word is that this was recorded the night that Guru died. Premier's blog had the drop and this to say...
Gotham Green: "Tell Me Something" featuring Freddie Gibbs and Jes Hudak
"Old school never write my raps in the Blackberry"
Freddie is telling the truth in this cameo for Gotham Green's Haze Diaries Vol. 3. We did a Closed Session with Gibbs while he was in town for Pitchfork, and it was all looseleaf and ink pens. Here Freddie joins Gotham Green and Jes Hudak on "Tell Me Something", a soulful joint and an excellent video to match. You can see the video below and download the song right here.
Gilbere Forte: 87 Dreams Mixtape
The mixtape dropped today and it includes songs that he’s already released such as “Black Chukkas”, “1st. Floor ft. Freelance Whales”, “My Time ft. STS”, and my personal favorite “I Know My Love.” Forte more than demonstrates his versatility on the mixtape, giving listeners some very different songs. The Philly based rapper’s confidence shines through on his tracks and he has the skill to back it up. So all of this is fine and good but it leaves one question: What’s next for Gilbere Forte? What’s hot that you haven’t heard yet: “A Place We Go”, “Cold Summer”, let’s be honest….most of the songs are pretty dope. Download link and tracklist after the jump.
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Mayer Hawthorne: "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'" Video
It's great when an artist really pushes a project beyond a 6 month time-span. It was around this time last year when the world was given A Strange Arrangement, the debut album from DJ Haircut turned soul singer Mayer Hawthorne. What started out as somewhat of a 'just for fun' side project turned into one of the best albums of '09. Thank g-d Peanut Butter Wolf heard those demos and knew what to do with them. Here's the new video from the LP, "Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'", which Hawthorne calls one of his favorites. See it below.
Also, check out our documentary piece "Who Is Mayer Hawthorne" to learn more about the man, the myth, the legend right here.
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The Illz: The Dreams of Life and Beth
My guy is back at it. The ILLZ along with filmmaker Kristopher Rey-Talley, will be releasing an innovative multimedia project on August 17th titled The In Between Video Series. Each song off the project will be released with a video as we approach the release date, and on the 17th, the each song and video will be available for download.
"The song is introspective and haunting, and I wanted to convey that through a simplistic set of visuals. Shooting on the Manhattan bridge at 5:30am, we got that clean ambient light, and complete desertion. Everything was shot on long lenses, creating a sense of deep space and complete loneliness. The video is a mood piece, low on concept but high on artistry and emotion. It is but the first chapter in a varied, complex and beautiful set of upcoming videos, one unlike that of any artist I've worked with thus far."
I really like the concepts The ILLZ and his team have to offer, as I think this will one of the more insightful and powerful projects we will see this summer.
Hey Champ: "Shake" Live At The Viper Room
Last Tuesday, former FNF band Hey Champ performed "Shake" from their debut album Star that is out now! I was privileged to see these guys live on NYE 2009 at the Justice concert at the Congress theater. Their show was incredibly live, and this one seems just as eventful. Support good local music, and go cop Star!
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