hip hop music

On The Radio Tonight

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:57:17 -0500

Tonight the Underground Railroad returns with rare and classic hip-hop from our all-star DJs, and Jay Smooth on the microphone. You can listen in on our live stream here or on 99.5 FM if you're in the tri-state area, and join us in the chat room here.

New Lauryn HIll "Fearless Vampire Killer" (VIDEO)

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 15:30:07 -0500

Some live concert footage from Washington DC of the new song Lauryn Hill has been performing recently, "Fearless Vampire Killer." The song, of course, bears the same name as a classic Bad Brains track (as well as an old horror/comedy movie from back in the day by a Roman Polanski), but I can't hear any direct similarities to the Bad Brains classic in Lauryn's song. I'd imagine Ms. Hill is quite familiar with their work, so the song title is probably an homage at the very least though. It's hard for me to make out exactly how her flow is interacting with the beat here, so I'm hoping a better quality recording will come out.

Mark Ronson & Erykah Badu on David Letterman "A La Modeliste" (VIDEO)

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:50:13 -0500

212215329 SuperProducer (and still a dope DJ too) Mark Ronson and Super-Everything Erykah Badu team up on the David Letterman show with one of my all-time favorite drummers, Ziggy Modeliste of the Meters, and members of the mighty Dap Kings collective for a live perormance of "A La Modeliste," from Ronson's RE:GENERATION album/CD.

Brother Ali Free EP Download: "The Bite Marked Heart"

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 23:09:06 -0500

My only contribution to Valentine's Day will be this new free download from the great Brother Ali, an EP featuring guest artists including Phonte from Foreign Exchange and Little Brother, and Stokley from Mint Condition. Ali always delivers quality material and I'm sure this is no exception. "Brother Ali offers up a free 7 song EP for your listening pleasure. The Bite Marked Heart features Phonte (Little Brother, Foreign Exchange) Stokley Williams (Mint Condition), Singer/songwriter Nikki Jean and Aby Wolf. Beats provided by Jake One and Ant. Ali is currently putting the finishing touches on his 6th studio album Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color. tracks 1,2,4,6,7 produced by Jake One tracks 3,5 produced by Ant"

Jeremy Lin Game Winner 3-Pointer vs Toronto Raptors (VIDEO)

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:12:32 -0500

I guess Floyd Mayweather is 41-1 now? Linsanity knows no bounds, as the NY Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin continues his incredible rise from 4th-string backup to overnight NBA star. Tonight Lin scored 27 including 12 in the fourth quarter, and this game winning shot at the buzzer in the clip above. All he needs is to get the turnovers in check and we're straight. Look for the Jeremy Lin Knick jerseys snapback hats while you still can, and for more insight see Angry Asian Man's list of good stories about the Jeremy Lin phenomenon, including this Time magazine quote: "[The] embrace of Lin has made millions of Asian Americans feel vicariously, thrillingly embraced. Not invisible. Not presumed foreign. Just part of the team, belonging in the game. It's felt like a breakout moment: for Lin, for Asian America and, thus, for America."

Black Star "Little Brother" (with Questlove Commentary)

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:27:47 -0500

The classic Black Star/J Dilla collaboration "Little Brother." See the video below for Questlove telling the story behind this beat.

Brother Ali & Jake One "Writer's Block"

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:51 -0500

I've been waiting a long time for this project to emerge, the first single from Brother Ali's project with superproducer Jake One, "Writer's Block." The story he's telling certainly hits home for me.

Skillz 2011 Wrap-Up

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:42:09 -0500

Oops, did he say "3,000 home runs?"

Jean Grae "U & Me & Everyone We Know" (AUDIO)

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:50:16 -0500

U & Me & Everyone We Know by Jeangreasy Some grownup talk about relationships from Jean Grae, on the first single/leak/whatever you call new songs on the internet now, from her "Cake Or Death" album, "U & Me & Everyone We Know."

Snoop Dogg Co-Hosting "The Price Is Right" (VIDEO)

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 13:44:37 -0500

Drew Carey welcomes Snoop Dogg as guest co-host and announcer on The Price Is Right. Snoop seems more enthusiastic about game show hosting here than he has about rapping in years. I enjoy Snoop the most when he's doing something G-rated (no pun intended), I always wished he was around to become a character on Peewee's Playhouse. Has he been on Yo Gabba Gabba yet?. See more video at miss info's spot.

Boog Brown w/ 14KT "Growth (Remix)"

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:08:32 -0500

See more on Boog Brown here, and on the very dope producer 14KT here.

Drake Sings "Make Me Proud/The Motto/Headlines" (NYE VIDEO)

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 19:03:51 -0500

Drake's performance last night on Carson Daly's New Years Eve special, where he did live versions of his hits make Me Proud, The Motto, and Headlines. Source

What Really Causes A Hangover?

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:39:45 -0500

Just in time for your post New Year's suffering, here's a new breakdown of what really causes a hangover, which drinks are most likely to cause a bad one, and what you can and can't do to prevent it or cure it.

What Causes A Hangover? source ...Red wine and dark liquors like whiskey, brandy, bourbon and tequila produce more impurities, called congeners, during fermentation than lighter colored alcohol like wine, rum and vodka. Here's a handy congener chart. Congeners basically make all hangover symptoms worse. You maybe have noticed that although it's clear, bubbly gives a nasty headache. That's because carbonation increases your blood's absorption of alcohol... ...Also, that drinking buddy who's always warning you: Bro, don't mix? He is correct. Mixing various types of alcohol on a single night is unwise if your functioning potential the following day is important. Each alcohol produces different types of congeners which combine to create a strong cocktail of morning-after pain...

Cee-Lo Green Changes Lyrics to "Imagine" (VIDEO)

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:55:00 -0500

Here's the video of Cee-Lo Green doing a controversial cover version of John Lennon's "Imagine" at the climax of NBC's New Year's Eve New Year's Eve. Not the worst performance from Cee-Lo, though there were some spotty moments on the high notes. But the rendition offended Lennon fans by changing one of the song's key lyrics, when he switched "and no religion too" to "and all religion is true." I have to agree it was a bad idea for Cee-Lo to edit Lennon's words here, even if some of the backlash has been over the top. I understand he may have had good intentions, but in this instance he really should've just let it be, as it were. See the performance below, and see more about the negative reaction from Lennon fans here.
(source)

Justin Bieber vs. Riff-Raff: Battle of the Frightening "Otis" Freestyles

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:23:30 -0500

Out of the many freestyles that have come out over Kanye and Jay-Z's "Otis" (including a pointed rebuttal from Chuck D), perhaps none are more ominous than these two that dropped recently. The first is former White Rapper Show contestant and current BFF of V-Nasty, Riff-Raff. He clearly wins for most awkward usage of the word "boysenberry" in a verse. Then today we saw the arrival of this Justin Bieber take on the track. Bieber has been looking for chances to flex his freestyle muscles for a while now, and reportedly got kicked out of BET's cypher when DJ Premier found out he had Ludacris ghostwriting for him. Check out their best efforts below if you dare, and see if you can pick a winner. Riff-Raff "Otis" Freestyle Justin Bieber "Otis" Freestyle