Degrassi Fans, this one's for yall

Drake - Comeback Season

This dude has recently shown up on 3 of the 7 internets. His mixtape cover is cool, if you want that whole Nom de Guerre lookbook feel. He raps and sings and, to be honest, I haven't even listened to it yet, so I'm just gonna hate on him jus cuz.

So, before the internet gets caught on any sort of hoopla over this nigga, I'd like to point out something. His real name is Aubrey and he's on Degrassi, which I think is like Gilmore Girls? Now I've never seen the show, but I hear they have a strong fanbase or something like that. Either way, I feel like it's the equivalent of an actor from Dawson's Creek tryna have a rap career. And as far as that, I'm not sure how this whole Raf Simons look is gonna work for the youngbol. Either way, he's aligning himself with internet/blipster rappers (I guess Fiddy and Rick Ross wouldn't welcome him into their cliques), which is a smart move. People of that ilk are a little less reticent about accepting soft-looking niggas like this guy. Good luck, he might be working with Wale in the near future, so be on the lookout.

And to conclude, before any of you pansies start bleeding, I haven't listened to the guy's mixtape yet. So for all I know, this kid could be the truth. I've listened to a couple of his tracks, and he does seem to be decent, but since he reminds me of the rapper version of Ryan Leslie and has a mixtape cover reminiscent of Gwen McRae-era album covers, I felt the need to hate. It's all in jest. Have yourselves a chilled coffee and click the album cover to download the mixtape.

I'll Show you how to do this, son

Ryan Leslie tries to get us to respect him. Good work, ur still a bama tho. $20 says Weezy will be collaborating with Ryan Leslie in the very near future. Perhaps to make this exact song in the studio.

Sidenote: Why is DJ Green Lantern single-handedly holding down hip-hop right now?

Tone Deaf

I have yet to download the "guitar version" of this song, and listening to this, I never will. Stop.

Wet Toes

Updated the blog playlist. If you don't wanna hear it, scroll down and click the pause button, but I had to let yall hear a few joints that I've been holding onto (cuz I still don't put everything up on the blog--snobbery is my first nature). Whew, talk about a run-on sentence.

Adele - That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On
The Roots ft. Wale and Chrisette Michele - Rising Up (Live on Letterman)
Fam-Lay - War Music
Jamie Lidell - Multiply

Adele is still the ish, that Letterman performance was immediately mp3-worthy, afrobeat is the new snap music (word to Fela), and soul is soul no matter how much melanin you have (or don't have).

Say Word?

So umm, sometime between us being ordinary folks that act like we're extraordinary, Don't Sleep DC listed our blog (yes, the one you're reading right now) as one of DMV's finest. (DMV = DC, Maryland, and Virginia). Don't believe me? Go 'head, check em out. We're listed on the right side under "DMV's Finest" at the top of their list.

To the person or team of persons over there, thanks. We do what we can, mostly via surreptitious methods of internet perusal which could actually be accomplished by any of our readers, but I'm sure most of you have better things to do with your time than steal things from other websites. (But then again, you read our blog, so who knows.)

But enough of the feigned humility and self-deprecating humor. We 'preciate the shout out most much and will shoot one right back to yall. And to think, this all started with some untitled, frustration-filled rant.

PS. Thanks to those who have submitted posts to youhypesikenah@gmail.com for The Conscientious Observer. We're in the process of reviewing them right now so don't get your panties in a bunch.

Crank That

In the words of David Letterman, "Wow." For those of you who don't appreciate go-go, I don't know what to tell you. (For the purists, yes, I know this is go-go inspired, but still...) The Roots + Wale and Chrisette KILT IT last night on Letterman. This performance pretty much convinced me to drop and give up $50 for The Roots Picnic in June, word to Mike Jones. Who's coming with me?

Next Best Thing

If getting to Georgetown is too much, Wale will be performing "Rising Up" with The Roots and my plus-size boo, Chrisette Michele, tonight on the Letterman Show.

Mental Giant

So as my life has been in shambles post-Florida... I did manage to accomplish a few things that will hopefully get me back on track to becoming a law-abiding tax-paying American citizen.

1) I've been conditionally accepted to an MBA program (cross ur fingers)
2) I've finally done updates for david-kenneth.net
3) Secured management for The Paxtons and chris&dave
4) And last but not least... took first place in my Yahoo! Sports fantasy bball league!!!



Everybody's got their something right?

When I Grow Up...

I wanna be a hoodrat and "do hoodrat things". Thanks for the clip Ashley

Darfur is the new Apartheid

As Darfur is the new Apartheid-era South Africa, the entertainment scene at large (or at least Don Cheadle) has grinded to raise public awareness of the atrocities going on across the water. Stand and Participant Productions have produced a documentary called Darfur Now and are embarking on a screening tour featuring today's music blogosphere champs in select cities. Maybe a few of these names might be familiar...

Anthony David, Asheru, Cool Kids, DJ Drama, DJ Fuze, DJ YZO, Goapele, Janelle Monae, Mastamind DJ, Novel, Southeast Slim, Wale & Zion I

Apr 12, 2008 Boulder, CO University of Colorado at Boulder
Apr 13, 2008 Boston, MA Northeastern University
Apr 15, 2008 Boulder, CO University of Colorado at Boulder
Apr 24, 2008 Berkeley, CA University of California Berkeley
Apr 25, 2008 Atlanta, GA Emory University
Apr 27, 2008 St. Paul, MN William Mitchell College of Law
Apr 28, 2008 Minneapolis, MN University of Minnesota Law School
Apr 28, 2008 Washington D.C. Georgetown University
May 21, 2008 Chicago, IL University of Chicago
May 29, 2008 Los Angeles, CA University of California Los Angeles

If you're in the DMV tonight, make sure to check this out...

Ball's in your court, Soulja Boy

Jay-Z - Blow the Whistle

Too tired to tell the details. Jay-Z goes to bat for Lebron over this whole Lebron/Deshawn fiasco. Details here.

Is that Larry Fishburne on the keys?

Yet another reason to emigrate to the UK. Estelle performing "American Boy" on David Letterman (and killing it).

Oh, and you got the remix to American Boy, right?

Jimmy gone M.I.A.

Jamie Lidell - Jim

More blue-eyed soul from across the pond. Yall think I'm playing when I say I'm headed to London, but with Amy, Adele, Mark, Kate, Lily, this nigga, and the rest of em, why not? Were this album made by some left-of-center black dude, it'd be hailed as a classic. No hyperbole. Is it classic? No. But it's got the feel of classic Stevie Wonder Songs In The Key Of Life, Donny Hathaway Everything is Everything, gospel-tinged, blues-colored soul that makes it a cot durn solid nigger album. Which, considering the dude's from England makes it an even greater accomplishment. But then again, at the rate Britons are producing quality soul music nowadays, maybe its jus par for the course. Click the album cover to download and enjoy.

And while you're downloading, enjoy the video for the opening track.

A Blipster's Wet Dream...

sans a fully nude Ms. Keys underneath that cot-damned trenchcoat (a la Single White Female). Either way, this summer the champions of 90's hiphop that encouraged you to grow dreads, chief, and cut school to ________ (fill in the blanks with either freestyle, beatbox, dj, bomb or break... maybe that was just me) meet the leaders of new, Fader-approved music. Seeing as how I have no idea when I'll be home, you might catch me and Mr. Garr in that Philly jawn with some press passes off the strength of the blog. We can dream right?

Tix On-Sale Saturday May 17 at 10AM

Sat July 19th – Chicago, IL
Sun July 20th – Toronto, ON
Sat July 26th – Boston, MA
Sun July 27th – New York, NY
Sat August 2nd – Miami, FL
Sun August 3rd – Philadelphia, PA
Sat August 9th – Los Angeles, CA
Sat August 16th – San Francisco, CA
Sat August 23rd – Denver, CO
Sat August 30th – Vancouver, BC

Note: I never took up breakdancing... always figured I was too big, and a tad uncoordinated.

Point Proven

chris&dave - American Boy (Remix)

First off, this is a You Hype! Sike Nah... exclusive out of the Paxtons camp. You will not find this anywhere else on the internet unless I put it there. Two cold brothers from the Chi spit red, white, and blue all over the Estelle track.

Trust me, you want this. And it's only the beginning...

I'm in a School Daze of my own right now

Biggie said it best: "When I rock her and drop her, I'm taking her doorknockers." I'm OFFICIALLY an Alicia Keys fan. Cot durn woman.

Violence, Freedom, and Urgent Means

Click the album cover.

It ain't my fault

Smart is the new gangster

Bun B ft. Sean Kingston - That's Gangsta

This summer is gonna be so hot. And a friend of a friend runs the company that makes the "Smart is the new gangster" shirt. H-Town stand up.

The Face of Hip Hop: My DC Audience

Strictly for the DC heads. What yall know bout that PA Palace?