This mix by no means represents every hip hop act going on stage for CMJ’s annual music marathon, but it does a good job covering the hip hop melting pot. Each DJ gets half the mix to pull in some of the best from the East (Jadakiss) to West (Snoop Dogg), Underground (Bekay) to Mainstream (Drake), and Vets (M.O.P) to Newcomers (Fashawn), all the while exhibiting their mixing and scratching abilities like every good DJ should. Read the full story

Coming from a city like Minneapolis, I can’t stress to you enough how much we don’t get the recognition we rightly deserve in this city.  Since the birth of hip hop music, there is no denying that regardless of the expansion of the genre’s widespread appeal, New York and California are still the front runners for most of hip hop’s recognition.  Another city that has been floating under the radar is Wichita, Kansas.  Though this wasn’t the birthplace or a second home for hip hop, it was the birthplace for Donovan Johnson, better known to the digital era of music as “X.V” Read the full story

While other rappers flood the game with thug fairy tales and fabricate super-gangster identities, Cormega always delivers what the game really needs. From killers’ anthems that do more to expose the ugly side of street life than glorify it to soulful dedications that uplift loved ones and honor those that are left behind, the Queens rapper offers up pieces of true life in the form of good music. Read the full story

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKGLFNaHC28&feature=related[/youtube]

HHLO.net wants to know what you think of Joe Budden’s “Padded Room.”

Don’t be scared, it’s all anonymous!

Joe Budden released his highly anticipated “Padded Room” on February 24, 2009. What’s your opinion on how the CD turned out? Do you think Budden comes as hard lyrically in this CD as he does with other projects he’s developed or currently developing? Let your peers know what you think!

A graduate of the California Academy of Mathematics and Science and a technology and computer specialist, Christ Goodman began producing in 2005.  Under the name THX, he first began working with fellow Los Angeles artist Bad Lucc, cranking out a series of tracks that received much local radio attention.  After working with a number of local rappers and entertainers, THX graduated to working with various members of the Aftermath family.  His production on Snoop Dogg’s The Blue Carpet Treatment (“Don’t Stop”) affirmed his role as one of Hip-Hop’s up and coming producers.  The Blue Carpet Treatment went gold, and THX began to connect with many people throughout the industry.  Currently, he is slated to produce at least one track on Clipse’s Till The Casket Drops, as well as co-producing on the forthcoming Busta Rhymes album Back on My B.S. THX hopes to one day rise to the status of a Just Blaze or a Kanye West, while maintaining his firm grip on his individual production tastes, as opposed to acquiescing to the fad-ish sounds of today’s pop hip-hop radio-friendly production machine.  THX seeks to stay true to himself, while also gaining popularity with rap fans. Get familiar with HHLO Top 25 Under 25 pick THX here:

THX’s Myspace

http://www.myspace.com/thxbeats

HHLO Features Ei8ht’s Exclusive Interview With THX:

http://hhlo.net/lead-story/thx/

1. Joell Ortiz – Intro
2. Joell Ortiz – Freestyle (B-eZ Exclusive)
3. Joell Ortiz – Freestule (B-eZ Exclusive)
4. Joell Ortiz – Shootin (B-eZ Exclusive)
5. Joell Ortiz – Um Cool (B-eZ Exclusive)
6. Joell Ortiz – Speak
7. Joell Ortiz – Get This Dough ft Max B (B-eZ Exclusive)
8. Joell Ortiz – Bout My Money (B-eZ Exclusive)
9. Joell Ortiz – Yowa Skit ft Lady T
10. Joell Ortiz – Fight Club ft Slaughterhouse (B-eZ Exclusive)
11. Joell Ortiz – Memories (B-eZ Exclusive)
12. Joell Ortiz – Speaks
13. Joell Ortiz – Hey ft Termanology (B-eZ Exclusive)
14. Joell Ortiz – Freestyle (B-eZ Exclusive)
15. Joell Ortiz – Air Yall Intro (B-eZ Exclusive)
16. Joell Ortiz – Speaks
17. Joell Ortiz – Air Yall (B-eZ Exclusive)
18. Joell Ortiz – Freestyle (B-eZ Exclusive)
19. Joell Ortiz – Speaks
20. Joell Ortiz – Morning (B-eZ Exclusive)
21. Joell Ortiz – Say It ft Sheek Termanology Bun B Saigon Freeway (B-eZ Exclusive)
22. Joell Ortiz – Outro
23. Joell Ortiz – Too Soon (Biggie Tribute) Bonus (B-eZ Exclusive)
24. Joell Ortiz – Wack Mcs ft Slaughterhous (Bonus) (B-eZ Exclusive)

Download

 Johnson Barnes III is the stepson of a pastor, born and raised with 9 blood siblings and 3 stepsiblings in San Pedro, California.  Influenced early in his childhood by the Christian Gospel of the church, Barnes had high hopes of becoming an NBA superstar.  After suffering a series of setbacks in his high school basketball career, Barnes turned to pursuing his hobby of freestyling, making a career out of rapping.  When he first listened to Chicago rapper Common’s “I Used to Love H.E.R.” he decided exactly what kind of rap artist he would become: a conscious, soulful bard, speaking of the dark places in working class America, a poet, a visionary and a preacher of the street gospel.

Blu’s vocal ability is a well-kept secret in the hip-hop community.  His lyrics, focused on moral dilemma, positive action, human emotion and his fascinating past, never vary in their ability to move you.  Blu was chosen as HipHopDX.com’s 2007 Rookie of the Year, and was also chosen by XXL Mag as one of the “Top 10 Freshmen of 09.”  His releases transcend the abyss that has plagued hip-hop in the past few years – they are rife with emotion, individuality, sensitivity and creativity.  Offered a contract at both Interscope and Death Row Records, Blu chose to sign with the independent California label Sound in Color, refusing to touch the mainstream for fear of his material being corrupted. 

Blu’s releases include the mixtapes “The C.O.R.E.,” “(So)ul Amazing,” “(So)ul Amazing 2,” and “HerFavoriteColo(u)r,” as well as the albums “Below The Heavens” (with producer Exile), “The Piece Talks” (as C.R.A.C. Knuckles with Ta’Raach), and “Johnson&Jonson” (as Johnson&Jonson with Mainframe).  A sequel to Blu& Exile’s “Below The Heavens” is due out in 2009, as its predecessor garnered much public acclaim in many underground hip-hop circles.  Exile’s choppy, swaggerous sampling offsets Blu’s pure and precise flow perfectly; the instrumental tracks are as adventurous and intriguing as the lyrics, which are some of the most innovative and thought-provoking of any in recent memory.  Overall, Blu is an x-factor in the hip-hop world; his refusal to mainstream may keep him in the shadows for a period of time.  However, should he be thrust to the forefront by a key shot-caller in rap’s inner circle, Blu could then begin to truly tap his potential. Get familiar with HHLO Top 25 Under 25 pick BLU here:

Blu’s Myspace:

http://www.myspace.com/herfavcolor

 Sticky Fingaz getting knocked out on MTV, a picture of Prodigy in a ballet outfit displayed on a huge projection screen at a rap mega-concert, photos of Rick Ross in a Correction Officer uniform.Not exactly the images we’ve come to know, but more so the images that have come to light for these artists. Do these revelations damage their image, lyrical integrity, and ultimately their record sales? Should all rappers who claim to be keeping it real be taken to task when it is discovered that they are just putting on airs?

There have been more than a few rappers who have had the truth revealed about embellished accounts of their past which they have glorified in their music. In interviews, Akon tells of a torrid past filled with criminal acts, hence the name of his label, Konvict Music. Truth is, while Akon does have numerous arrests on his record, he has only been convicted of one felony (gun possession) for which he received 3 years probation back in 1998. That same year, in Atlanta, Akon was arrested and charged with possession of a stolen BMW. He was held for months and released as all charges related to the car theft were dropped against him. Not exactly a member of a major car theft ring as he has alleged to belong to on several occasions to boost his street rep and give credence to the name of his company.

Judging by the movie 8 Mile, one would guess that Eminem spent a large portion of his formidable years in a trailer park. Em later revealed, and his mother confirmed, that while moving often in his younger years, he spent most of his time as a resident of Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Rather than trump up an arrest record that can be proven false, he chose the white trash route of ghetto realness the trailer park conveys.

Lil Wayne acknowledges his allegiance to the Bloods gang in damn near every verse we hear. Yet past videos offer proof, or rather stir up doubt, of his true membership. There are numerous instances in the past where Weezy is seen wearing a blue bandana either around his head or in his back pocket. There is also footage of him wearing a red bandana in his back pocket, albeit on the wrong side. His affiliation has been questioned on several occasions.

The latest culprit is Rick Ross, who initially denied the reports that he was once a Correction Officer in Florida. He was forced to backtrack after pictures and other proof surfaced on the internet showing William Leonard Roberts was indeed employed from December of ‘95 to June ‘97 at the South Florida Reception Center in Dade County. We’ll see if this has an impact on his drug lord persona as well as his record sales. His latest album, Deeper than Rap, is scheduled for release this month.

Should we attribute these lies to creative license or should these artists be taken to task for such fabrications? Hip-hop is a music and a movement birthed from the mean streets of the South Bronx. One of the earliest depictions of life in urban communities in hip hop music, The Message, was a gritty narration told to us, first hand, by rapper Melle Mel. We like to think that today’s artists “keep it 100″ when they share their tales from their respective hoods just the same. 

But that ain’t always the case.

This alarming trend, of questionable lyrical authenticity in hip-hop music, not only weakens its fabric, but also compromises the integrity of the artists. I mean, shouldn’t they feel a certain way about glorifying the very vices that are responsible for the destruction of the urban neighborhoods they so proudly represent? Where is the social and artistic responsibility? Is it not detrimental to the culture to have posers perpetrating a fraud? From its inception, hip-hop was art imitating life at its most visceral level, making the music surreal.

But what happens when more and more artists are revealed as something other than what we perceive them to be? Suppose 50 Cent had never been shot 9 times and it was actually his cousin’s story being told as his own? Would he have reached the superstar status he still holds to this day? Has the business of the music caused it to morph into a culture where life now imitates art? Has it become acceptable in hip-hop to sell an image, no matter how far fetched from the truth, for the sake of record sales?

At the end of the day, the old adage still applies: “Believe half of what you see and even less of what you hear.” The bottom line is there are posers everywhere; in your school, on your block, in your circle (hopefully not!!!), and even in your music. But here are some words of wisdom to all rappers: Practice what you preach!! If you are talking it, and not walking it, be ready to face the music. Beware, the damage from being outed as a farce is irreparable in the hip-hop community. You “Scarface babies” may want to think twice before constructing that false persona. The career you save may be your own.

The sons of physicians in Vero Beach, Andrew “Dru Brett” Harr and Jermaine “Mayne Zayne” Jackson first met when they were toddlers.  As they grew older, both seemed to have a keen interest in music.  They were separated at the age of ten, as Dru’s family moved to North Carolina, but were reunited via various music endeavors until they both graduated, whereupon they became the production duo “The Runners” and set up Trac-n-Field Entertainment in downtown Orlando.  The young entrepreneurs, aged 20 and 21, set high hopes for prosperous careers in music.  They were not disappointed.

The Runners were cranking out track after track of pure thunder when one of their beats, a southern-sounding chopped and screwed track called “Everyday I’m Hustlin’” was selected by Def Jam as the hit single for the somewhat unknown Rick Ross.  The track was an instant chart-topper, both establishing Rick Ross and The Runners as highly respected names in the rap industry.  From that breakthrough point, The Runners couldn’t stop selling beats, redefining the 305 hip-hop signature sound and creating memorable singles for everyone from Young Jeezy (“Go Getta”) to DJ Khaled (“I’m So Hood,” “Out Here Grindin’,” “Go Hard”).  They’ve made chopped-and-screwed vocal sampling their signature, though many producers now mimic the technique.  In effect, The Runners practically changed the conventions of hip-hop producing, being nominated for B.E.T.’s Producer of the Year Award in 2008. Get familiar with HHLO Top 25 under 25 pick THE RUNNERS here:

The Runners’ Website (Every track they’ve ever produced is posted for listening):

http://runnersmusicgroup.com/

The Runners’ Myspace:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=42489919

Out Here Grindin Music Video

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKv7dDFpCbk[/youtube]