Young Jeezy is already preparing a follow-up to the well-received mixtape that dropped last month.

Props: OnSMASH

Previously: Young Jeezy Covers The Source’s Aug/Sept Issue

On Monday night, Jay-Z & Kanye West hosted a listening session for their new album at The American Museum of Natural History’s Planetarium. It was all the news yesterday, but in case you missed it: they basically played the album at outrageously high volumes while projecting a light show on the dome-shaped ceiling inside the Planetarium’s amphitheater. It was ill, and I was pleasantly surprised with the album. As someone who grew up on The Blueprint, movies like Fade To Black and who still listens to all 12 minutes of “Last Call”, I wanted to walk in there with little to no expectations – which is probably how we should be treating everything that gets tainted with this much “hype” these days. The worst part is I think that’s what they were going for by not addressing the media (at all) until they were ready and able to put out a full project that they were finally comfortable with[1]. I liked what I heard though: Watch The Throne has a couple bangers, some experimentation to it (they had to) and the album even comes with an overall message. Like I said on twitter yesterday, Kanye’s verses sounded like he was back in rare form but Jay was definitely the one delivering the aformentioned message.

There is a short breakdown of each song after the jump, at least from what I remember (no they weren’t serving drinks at the first session.)

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Not so much Jay-Z himself as it’s Rocawear who’s doing the buying, but GQ reports that Jay-Z and Pharrell will be working “as a tandem” on the luxury brand P founded in 2005. The article also point out that the brand won’t be showing up on department stores shelves just yet, since Rocawear is simply providing financial backing for the brand.

UPDATE:

After a number of false starts, Def Jam has finally set a September 20th release date for the third installment in Jeezy’s Thug Motivation trilogy. The announcement comes 6 years to the day (give or take 24 hours) that his seminal debut, TM101 hit stores and ushered in a new era of Trap Rap. Below you can check out a rarely circulated promo video shot by Jason Goldwatch during the promo run for TM101. Remember those days of the ubiquitous Snowman t-shirt?

“The Throne” will be embarking on a 24-date North American tour starting September 22nd in Detroit. Below is the official sequencing of the Watch The Throne album tracks.

1. No Church In the Wild (feat. Frank Ocean)
2. Lift Off (feat. Beyoncé)
3. Niggas In Paris
4. Otis (feat. Otis Redding)
5. Gotta Have it
6. New Day
7. That’s My Bitch
8. Welcome to the Jungle
9. Who’s Gon Stop Me
10. Murder to Excellence
11. Made In America (feat. Frank Ocean)
12. Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson)
**** AVAILABLE ON THE DELUXE VERSION
13. Illest Motherfucker Alive ****
14. H.A.M ****
15. Primetime ****
16. The Joy (feat. Curtis Mayfield) ****

Album in stores, and tickets on sale, August 8th.

Hit the jump for the WTT tour dates and ticket sale information.
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Rolling Stone just put up a brief piece detailing some new Drake songs off his latest opus, Take Care.

He cues up several tracks in various states of completion, all of which sit squarely in the sparse, somber register that’s become his trademark. “Shot for Me,” the likely album opener, is a marvel of melancholy bravado: He sings “Bitch, I’m the man” in a moan that undercuts the brag, over a beat (courtesy of Shebib) that pairs aching synthesizer notes with an exhilarating barrage of high-hats. Other highlights include “Free Spirit,” featuring Rick Ross and the refrain “Tat my name on you so I know it’s real,” and “The Real Her,” a narcotically woozy love song with detuned pianos and a Lil Wayne guest spot. Drake is also looking forward to collaborating with Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. buzzy R&B gloomster the Weeknd — and, if he gets his wish, veteran beatsmith DJ Premier, Florence and the Machine’s Florence Welch, and the xx’s Jamie Smith. “No matter who’s on it, it goes through the Drake filter,” Shebib says. “He’s so hands-on about how everything sounds.”

Interestingly enough, the article opens up on Drake saying that he hates singles, and he’s about to drop one (“Headlines”) any day now.

Read the whole profile here.

Previously: Drake Calls Invasion Radio (Audio)

Comm had apparently been a free agent since the release of his last album, Universal Mind Control, in December 2008.

Common told MTV News. “He was like, ‘Look man, I know who you are. I always told you, you was one of my favorite MCs, and I really meant that.’

“I felt the sincerity in what he was saying. He didn’t tell me, ‘We’re going to do this, do that.’ He was more like, ‘I know how we can do your record, and I want to work this. I want this to be on my roster.’”

The article also mentions that Lonnie’s latest album, the highly-anticipated The Dreamer, The Believer, is due out in November.

Previously: Common Signs To Warner Bros. Records

NYPD are straight suckers man. Always have been, always will be.

Check out Pete Rock’s Twitter timeline for more on what went down.

Previously: Smif-N-Wessun & Pete Rock ft. Styles P & Sean Price – That’s Hard (One Shot)

_{Common & No I.D. pictured with Warner staff after signing with the label today.}

Billboard.com is reporting that this afternoon, Warner Bros. co-president/CEO Todd Moscowitz announced the signing at a Warner Bros. function and Common was on hand to confirm the news.

“I’m very grateful to be a part of this family, to be a part of this team,” Common told crowd in the Warner Bros. Records courtyard. “We have very inspirational, exciting music to team up with you. We’re just open to what this change can bring.”

We’re still waiting for that Nas/Comm single that was supposed to drop yesterday and for which the snippet leaked out last month.

Another pic below. Heads up via XXL, pics swiped from RR.

Previously: Common x Cocaine 80s – Summer Madness (Prod. by No I.D.)

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Karma The Feds finally caught up with Jimmy “Henchmen” Rosemond earlier today in, Cuba Switzerland Venezuela the middle of freaking Manhattan of all places, only a few blocks from his Czar Entertainment offices. Rosemond will now face federal drug trafficking charges and whatever else the prosecutors may have up their sleeves.

NBC NY reports:

Rosemond, owner of Czar Entertainment, was taken into custody by Drug Enforcement Administration agents who got a tip that he was at the W Hotel in Union Square, law enforcement sources tell NBC New York. He was arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, and did not enter a plea.

Sources tell NBC New York that Rosemond, who is known as “Jimmy Henchman” and has managed Brandy, Sean Kingston and The Game, fled and was chased by marshals up Park Avenue. He was carrying a fake I.D. and a passport application in a fake name, sources said.

Authorities believed Rosemond, who lived in Brooklyn until he went on the run in recent months, was planning to leave Thursday for the Bahamas.

Link: Feds Arrest Fugitive Hip-Hop Mogul, Accuse Him of Running Cocaine Ring