I’m taking a break from bracketology.

Let’s let glaring omission Rakim break Eric B.’s beat.

It’s a time-honored tradition in hip-hop to spend more time squawking about who the “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest of All Time, for the uninitiated) is, or squabbling over who the “Best Rapper Alive” is, than actually listening to their music and reacting to it at a personal, critical level.

Still, the idea of settling it all still fires passions and drives page views, so VIBE is doing a month-long, pale imitation of what could be a great idea. Here’s your bracket. Let’s hop in. (more…)

If you haven’t heard this song, prepare to be earwormed.

Tyga’s not a great rapper, and Travis McCoy just looks like a low-rent version of Joakim Noah every time I see him, but this thing bounces, is catchy as SARS, and is Idolator’s official song of the summer.

Maybe we’ll do our own. You hear me, Professor?

It’s a time-honored tradition in hip-hop to spend more time squawking about who the “G.O.A.T.” (Greatest of All Time, for the uninitiated) is, or squabbling over who the “Best Rapper Alive” is, than actually listening to their music and reacting to it at a personal, critical level.

Still, the idea of settling it all still fires passions and drives page views, so VIBE is doing a month-long, pale imitation of what could be a great idea. Here’s your bracket. Let’s hop in. (more…)

Both Sedgwick and Sleeping on Fire, because this song is that awesome.

And because I have another great one after the jump. (more…)

This is DJ Kool Herc, one of the founding fathers of hip-hop.

The next couple of weeks on Sedgwick will be special. Please come.

I will be using the “Bring On The Rapture” tag liberally for VIBE’s utterly asinine NCAA-style bracket to crown the Best Rapper Alive, but, first, a snapshot of the stupidity. (more…)

I can’t actually embed this video, but it’s intense and NSFW.

But you needed to see this Radiohead and you need to go buy Untitled.

Still in DC. This song features stic.man of dead prez. Connection made.

Oh, and Nas’ Untitled is out tomorrow; cop it, okay?

I’m in Philly. The Roots are from Philly.

And they brought Chrisette Michelle and Wale along!

(The ‘Fork calls the Michelle vocal “mawkish.” Sorry, it’s sweet.)

Yesterday was “Drive Slow.” Today’s Wyclef’s “Fast Car (Remix)” with Lupe.

Apologies to Tracy Chapman.

I am now licensed to do this:

And it feels so good.

It’s Collabo Week on Sedgwick!

That means you get stuff like John Legend and Andre 3000.

The first-ever Sedgwick without a YouTube video.

Crooked I, “Hero” Freestyle

But, I promise, it’s worth it. (So is The Quarter Pole.)

If I blow your memory on your spine, would you think back?

Let’s get this out of the way first. New Tip.

I can say I’ve been a T.I. fan since “Rubber Band Man,” but I’m going to have a really hard time seeing Clifford sell even 500K given how cold he was while fighting charges for having Army guns.

Some great Lupe for the return of 1520.

I’m back, I’m back/I’m cool, I’m cool, Westside representative/All me, no ghost/No sixteen bit like Sega Genesis. Hit the jump for programming notices and such. (more…)

Early! And with added Weezy review below!

It’s really, really hard to just pick five songs from these two tapes for this week, but this is the “Surviving the Times” remix, which is, besides the two already featured, the one song from Nas’ that I pick out most often.

Hit the jump for links to tapes and and that review.

(more…)

Five DeadOn posts since a YMR? Jerkwheat, your flagship is flagging.

I may have put this up before, but it’s on the mixtape, too.

This is “The Kramer,” and you should put on headphones…

…because you already know what Wale’s responding to here.

Some thoughts: This song is fascinating, by the way, great, but demanding; I listened to C3 (it sold a million, and retarded creativity), straight through this morning and overall impression is positive but not overwhelmed; look for revivals of older DeadOn hip-hop features in the month to come, as well as the non-music features I’ve been hinting at in the coming week or two.

I hope to make this a Nas and Wale week…

…but it may just be Nas.

Other stuff: I think I’m going to try to put together about a 1,000-word review of C3 for later this week, Thursday or Friday, if what I procured this weekend is actually the retail version; I’ll have links for Nas’ and Wale’s mixtapes, both fantastic, later this week; I’m writing something or somethings different (non-music) for later this week, too.