Styles P. Tracklist for Master of Ceremonies

I just saw this tracklist posted up on a few sites for SP's latest. I've seen a few different dates in October, but it's looking like the 4th is it now. Honestly, I care nothing about the features aside from track 6. Though, Pharoahe just may end up doing the hook again, which would be disappointing to me - not that "My Life" isn't dope.

Styles P. is, in my opinion, the most talented of The LOX, so I'm always interested to see what he puts together. By the way, if you're interested in hearing a collection of some of his older stuff, check out the DJ Kay Slay-hosted mixtape that was put out, shit, nearly a decade ago now. I think it's just called The Best of Styles P. (if not, you'll be seeing an update below tomorrow morning). I still pull it out once in a while. It's a great listen.

What do you think of this tracklist??

1 How We Fly f. Avery Storm
2 We Don’t Play f. Lloyd Banks
3 I’m A Gee f. Rell
4 Ryde On Da Regular
5 Keep The Faith f. Aja
6 Children f. Pharoahe Monch
7 Street Shit f. Sheek Louch
8 Feelings Gone
9 Harsh f. Rick Ross & Busta Rhymes
10 It’s Ok f. Jadakiss
11 Don’t Turn Away f. Pharrell
12 Uh-Ohh f. Sheek Louch

The Academy Ft. Royce da 5'9", Bronze Nazareth, Sean Price, & K-Solo - "Let's Go"

Holy Shit!!!

I just got through listening to this track 5 times in a row. I couldn't stop spinning it back over and over. So many quotables on this one. It was released about a month ago. I had it in my iPod, but must've overlooked it until now. Whoa.

I dig the summer anthems, the jazzy loops, and the feel good Hip Hop that comes with the season. But, when the weather starts to turn, I need this raw street shit in my ears again. There's nothing like it. This track, "Let's Go" hit me in the perfect mood.

Royce. Bronze Nazareth. Sean Price. K-Solo (yea, I know. WTF?). This song comes off The Academy, a project being headed by Kurupt, and featuring a who's who of capable MCs from all over. Click HERE to read more about it.

The great thing about "Let's Go" is that each MC brings his A++ game, knowing they need to put in work to compete with the others. That's something you don't see all that often anymore. Too many MCs give away their weaker verses for compilation projects (save for Statik Selektah and DJ JS-1's material). This is Hip Hop competition at its finest right here.

Can't say I noticed K-Solo much yet, but Bronze Nazareth definitely held his own with some clever bars that have single-handedly restored my faith in Wu-affiliates. Of course, the shine really comes from Royce and P, as they had me skipping back again and again. This song is without a doubt going on my top favorite songs of 2011. Hip Hop always needs music like this. Enjoy.

Money Mayweather Loses at Hip Hop

This fight should be getting underway now. Maywether v. Ortiz. I'm not watching. If someone I knew was ordering it I would watch, sure. But, I don't feel like shelling out the $$ to watch another challenger (even if he is a champion) likely go down at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

I don't think much of Mayweather as a person (of course, judging just by his public image). He seems like a grown child to me. Overly arrogant if only to cover up his massive insecurities. Claiming he doesn't care what people think of him all the while begging to be noticed by each and every one of them. But, the guy can fight. And, if you watch HBO's 24/7, you know that no one outworks him in the gym either. So, the dedication to be a winner has to be respected.

But, one thing I found laughable during the 24/7 series was Mayweather's attempt at being a hip hop mogul. Roy Jones Jr. tried the same thing years ago, remember? Didn't work. Everyone that listens to hip hop and has money, it seems, also wanted to run a label at some point.

The time has really passed for the hip hop record label mogul. That's not the way the business is anymore. The music gives more back to the individual artist for their hustle at networking and utilizing social media to get their work out there. And that change, due to Internet usage, has pushed some of the less creative business-wise (and often less talented musically) out of the game and made room for some that want to push the genre forward with new approaches to the music - the MCs, DJs, and Producers that have Hip Hop in their blood, not loud mouths looking for another hustle.

The bullshit still exists. But, I see the tide turning as labels have less and less control of listener's ears. And, rappers like Flo-Rida being signed after their biggest song is a bad idea. And Ray J? Was he on the show because he's on the label? Another bad move. Even with the help of 50 Cent, who seems to be around Mayweather, uh, 24/7, I think what was shown on HBO is some of the last you will see from Mayweather's Philthy Rich Records...depending on how many of his millions he wants to sink into making shitty club music.

Blackroc 2 Trailer

I kinda like the whole trailers-for-albums-like-they're-movies thing. It adds to the excitement a little, makes it interesting again for the Internet age where we don't often hold the liner notes to records and thumb through them studiously for the names and samples involved in its creation.

This one here for the new Blakroc project is doing what it's meant to do, build anticipation. I'm definitely looking forward to most of these MCs contributing rhymes to the Black Keys music. Helluva lineup here.