Watch… Read the full story

Hot days, cool nights, and tan thighs.  It’s that time of year again, and If you’re a hip-hop fan then Summer 2010 promises more than just nice weather and girls in short-shorts. Read the full story

Say “1996” to a basketball fan, and he’ll probably recall that an unlikely number one draft pick— a 6-foot-nothing point guard by the name of Allen Iverson— took the NBA by storm. A.I would win Rookie of the Year that season, thanks largely to his most deadly move: The crossover.  Say “1996” to a hip-hop junkie, and the word “crossover” will probably come up again. Read the full story

Read the full story

G.O.O.D. Music artist Big Sean reportedly leaked Kanye West’s upcoming album title to the Twitter world Sunday, (February 14, 2010), morning.  Read the full story

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHP8v5IyztQ[/youtube]

Yesterday I was asked by a friend if I’ve heard Kanye’s new song, “Love Lockdown”. I of course had, I have seen the video over and over again from the VMA performance and 50’s Lip Syncing video too, in which 50 is basically laughing at Kanye for his new single.

When I replied, the first thing that I said after yes is “I feel another Love Below coming on.” That was not meant to be an insult to Kanye’s vision, or Andre 3000’s album at all. As a hip hop fan, I’ve always respected and appreciated the fact that artists like Mr. West and Andre 3000 work outside the box. They aren’t afraid to experiment outside of the “norm” of hip hop.

Outkast will always be one my top 5 favorite groups of all time, and Andre one of my top 10 lyricists. But like a majority of hip hop heads, and bloggers alike, I thought Andre was starting to fall off when he created the Love Below. I could vibe with a few of his cuts like “Happy Valentine’s Day” & “Roses” but for the most part, I was disappointed with the way Andre was coming. But he brought it back…made sure his presence as a lyricist was known. When “Royal Flush” was dropped, I thought to myself, “He’s back”. Even Big Boi said in a recent interview, about giving Andre more than 16 bars on the track. That when Andre’s flowing like that, you just don’t stop him, you let him go.

Kanye seems to be expressing his “artistic” wings with 808s and Heartbreak. He’s venturing into that unknown territory, like Andre did. But will he bring that Kanye flava to the joints. Will we still be blessed with tracks like “Through the Wire” a classic in its own rite? Many think that Kanye’s already selling out, and catering to the teenagers and the white kids, I read the comments on these interviews, articles and forums about Mr. West’s news with the album. But I say…hold on, because he’s not done. I think that Kanye will blow it out of the water. I don’t have any doubt in that. He’s done it with three albums already, and while we won’t get “Good Ass Job”, we may be blessed with an artistic statement that will just expand the boundaries of the influence of Hip Hop even farther.

So to answer his question completely, yes, I’ve heard it, however I will remain neutral until Mr. West drops in November. So now we wait and see.

I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed. Would love some more “Broke Phi Broke” but ahhhh well.

Editors Note: This blog does not reflect the opinion of HHLO.net or it’s staff. They are just the thoughts and opinions of the Author.

Kanye West posted a new blog this evening in which he sounds off about the Bonnaroo concert. Kanye speaks his mind, and make sure that it was known, by not just posting part of the blog in a MySpace bulletin, but the whole thing.

Kanye’s post verbatim:

“I am  sick of negative  people who just sit around trying 2 plot my downfall… Why????  I understand if people don’t like me because I like me or if people think tight clothes look gay or people say I run my mouth to much,  But this Bonnaroo thing is the worst insult I’ve ever had in my life. This is the most offended I’ve ever been… this is the maddest I ever will be.  I’m typing so fucking hard I might break my fucking Mac book Air!!!!!!!!   Call me any name you want…. arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of….  BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!   NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!  THIS SHOWS NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY  TO BE GOOD AT SOMETHING THERE WILL BE PEOPLE THERE TO LIE ABOUT YOU AND BRING YOU DOWN!  LIKE WAYNE SAYS PLEASE DON’T SHOOT ME DOWN CAUSE I’M FLYING!  I’M FUCKING HURT BY THIS ONE.
ALL I CARE ABOUT ARE THE FANS.  JUST SAY THIS OUT LOUD IN  A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE, “KANYE DOESN’T CARE ABOUT GIVING A GOOD PERFORMANCE.”  CAN ANYONE HONESTLY SAY THAT ?????????      HAS ANYONE EVEN TAKEN THE TIME TO AT LEAST  DO THE MATH???  BONNAROO SHOULD HAVE RELEASED A STATEMENT IN MY DEFENSE BUT SINCE THEY HAVEN’T LET’S BREAK DOWN THE WALLS ON THIS TRUMAN SHOW AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT REALLY OCCURRED!!!   FOR OVER A MONTH WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON WETHER OR NOT WE COULD EVEN FIT MY STAGE AT THE FESTIVAL. ONE DAY THEY WOULD SAY YES… WE’D SEND THEM OUR SPECS THEN THEY THEY’D SAY OK… THEN THEY WOULD SEND SPECS BACK THAT DIDN’T FIT THE STAGE. WE WERE OBVIOUSLY DEALING WITH FUCKING IDIOTS WHO DIDN’T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO REALLY PUT ON THIS SHOW PROPERLY.  THEY TRIED 2 GIVE ME A TIME SLOT WERE IT WAS STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE … I HAVE A FUCKING LIGHT SHOW DUMB ASS, IT’S NOT CALLED GLOW IN THE DARK FOR NO REASON SQUID BRAINS!  MY PEOPLE WORKED OUT A COMPROMISED STAGE PLOT AND A 3AM TIME SLOT AND I AGREED.   FAST FOWARD TO THE DAY OF THE SHOW. MY PRODUCTION MANAGER TRIED TO LOAD IN FOR 24 HOURS BEFORE I WENT ON STAGE BUT THE FESTIVAL WOULDN’T ALLOW US TO DO ANYTHING UNTILL PEARL JAM LEFT THE STAGE. PEARL JAM ENDED ONE HOUR  LATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  AT THAT POINT WE’RE RACING AGAINST THE SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AT 4:20AM DON COMES BACK 2 THE BUS AND TELLS ME, ” IT  WOULD TAKE 45 MORE MINUTES TO PUT ALL YOUR PYRO IN!”  I SAY I HAVE TO GET OUT THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE . I HIT THE STAGE AND PEOPLE HAD BEEN THROWING SHIT ON THE STAGE AND HAD ACTUALLY HIT THE JANE SCREEN WITH, I GUESS BOTTLES OR SOMETHING AND HAD BROKEN MY FUCKING SCREEN.  REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE A SHORTY AND WATER WOULD HIT THE TV??????  WHEN I GOT 2 “THROUGH THE WIRE” I STEPPED ON  THE FRONT PART OF MY STAGE AND THERE WAS SO MUCH LIQUID ON THE STAGE  I COULDN’T MOVE WITHOUT SLIPPING. I HAD TO ADJUST MY WHOLE PERFORMANCE STYLE BECAUSE OF IT.  A FEW MORE SONGS IN AND THE SONG WAS ON IT’S WAY UP.. I  CUT A FEW SONGS FROM THE SET BECAUSE  I  WANTED PEOPLE 2 EXPERIENCE STRONGER WHILE THERE WAS STILL SOME DARKNESS TO PERFORM IT IN.  I’VE STRUGGLED WITH STRONGER FROM IT’S   CONCEPTION. REMEMBER LAST SUMMER WHEN I CANCELED SOME TV APPEARANCES.  IT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO PERFORM STRONGER IN THE DAYTIME.  ANYONE WHO CAME TO THE GLOW TOUR CAN UNDERSTAND WHY I WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE IT PROPERLY. IT BROKE MY HEART THAT I COULDN’T GIVE THESE FANS STRONGER IN IT’S GREATEST FORM… BY THE TIME I GOT TO STRONGER IT WAS DAYTIME AND IT BROKE MY HEART.  I’M SORRY TO EVERYONE THAT I DIDN’T HAVE THE ABILITY 2 GIVE THE PERFORMANCE I WANTED TO. I’M SORRY…  SOMETIMES I GO 2, 3 DAYS W/O SLEEP WORKING ON MY PERFORMANCE… I HAVE TO ICE MY KNEES AFTER EVERY SHOW AND THEY HURT WHEN I WALK THROUGH THE AIRPORT… HAVING AN EXPENSIVE STAGE CUTS MY PAYDAY IN HALF… CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!!!”