You can’t kill the writer of writers.

JR Writer – I’m Alive

Oddisee explains “geographic confusion” in the D.C. Maryland, Virginia hip-hop scene.

Yeah, that unholy trinity ya’ll got going on down there and all of the accompanying politics confuse the shit out of me sometimes.

Props: Nodfactor

Previously: Oddisee Talks Sampling & Diamond District | Diamond District – Something For Yall

Lil Wayne talks Rebirth to Billboard:

Given earlier leaks from the project, did you make many changes to the final version?
As of now Rebirth is coming out as a double disc with a [disc of songs] by Young Money. I had to add new cuts because a lot of things leaked, making people think they had an idea of what I was doing with Rebirth and what it would sound like. And I hated that because I never want anybody to think they know what I’m doing until I present it. So what I did was make it totally different I flipped it.

Does the album still lean toward rock?
Yes, the album is still rock. I play guitar on 80% of the songs and there’s a lot of rock influences and rock beats. I also have Travis Barker on the album. But I don’t want people to think I’m trying to do something I can’t do. Don’t think you’re going to put on the album and hear me screaming and singing . . . Don’t worry about that [laughs]. When people hear me say rock, they may get a little scared like, Oh, God. What is he going to do? When I said I was doing a rock album, it was about doing a freedom thing. This album isn’t hip-hop. When I do my Carter albums, I know I’ve got to rap, I know I’ve got to spit. I know the words I’ve got to say and the subjects I’ve got to talk about. I also know the things I shouldn’t say, the things I shouldn’t talk about. There’s none of those limits on this album. I say what I want, how I want. That’s what this album is: a freedom album. And rock is the avenue that gives you that freedom. I’m just having fun, that’s all. Trust me: People will like these songs. It’s my job to make them love them, but I know for a fact they’ll like them.

Source: Billboard via RR

Previously: Lil Wayne – No Ceilings (Mixtape)

Firm biz, what it is.

It’s Kamaal’s turn.

Previously: Black Roc Webisode #6 (Noe)

Off the comedians upcoming album, Funny Bidness.

Previously: Young Dro x Yung L.A. x Mike Epps – I Don’t Know Y’all (Behind The Scenes)

Andrew from FSD captured a series of vignettes that aired during Lupe’s Remember 2 Smile concert in Chicago last night.

He explains:

In this 7 part series, Lupe touches on a wide range of personal topics including Life, Death, Art, Fame, Faith, Politics, his home town of Chicago, and finally his upcoming album, We Are Lasers. Now, during our interview, I was advised not to ask anything about Lasers, because he was going to touch on it during his show. He did, and you can find out a few details, and acronyms from watching the clip. It’s still a mystery, but don’t say you were never invited inside the mind of Wasalu Jaco.

Parts 2-7 after the jump.

Continue reading this post…

The Salvation is in stores now, cop that.

Download: Skyzoo – Popularity (prod. Nottz)

I love Mary for this. This is something that will directly impact the community that we both grew up in. The Mary J. Blige Center For Women is located @ 489 South Broadway in Yonkers, between Valentine Lane and St. Andrews Place, which is about 2 blocks from that sign you see at the top of this site, and about 3 blocks from the building I grew up in.

The center came about through a partnerhip between Mary and Steve Stoute’s new foundation (FFAWN),the Westchester Jewish Community Services and Gucci (the design house, not Mane). According to the FFAWN website:

…the new center will serve as a “one-stop shop” for women, making resources more accessible and more customized than they are now and allowing women it serves to gain access to services from which they would not otherwise benefit. The serves offered directly at the Center will initially fall primarily into three categories: education, parenting skills, and career training.

Mary and Stoute plan on opening several more centers in communities across the globe.

Props to Boss Lady for the coverage of this. I know she had to pass on the Better Recognize Showcase because she had to be at this early the next day, and I completly understand. Sometimes there’s more to the news than entertainment.

Related: FFAWN Homepage | Mary J. Blige: ‘My spirit is what saved me’ from suicide (CNN)