Success in Death

One of the Notorious B.I.G.'s livest songs is "You Are Nobody til Somebody Kills You." In this song, he discusses how being assassinated makes not only the victim but also the assailant famous. Maybe he had a point when it came to artists and death. Biggie, along with Tupac, Marvin Gaye, and many others sold more records after they were assassinated. Likewise, a new report says Michael Jackson has sold over 300 million albums since his assassination. Music's allure is ambivalent. We love music because she is attractive, but we hate her because she likes to entertain all forms of company. Let me be first to say Happy Birthday to the King of Pop, RIP to Pac, BIG, and the illustrious Marvin Gaye.. Click on the photo to read up on how Michael Jackson's estate has grossed $1bn.

Album Review: Drake "Thank Me Later"

The wait is over. Hip Hops new king is here to reign! Or is he? The anticipation has set standards that are almost impossible for Drake to live up to. It was my fear that he was set up for failure.

My first listen through was very unfulfilling. Not that it wasn't good, there just wasn't an "initial impact." No super hot tracks, no clever hooks. And after listening to the album I realized that he was singing just as much as he was rapping. I personally enjoy him more as an emcee considering the fading trend of Auto Tune.

I don't want to be a total hater, so I will say this: Drake is very close to being a lyrical genius. There are great metaphors, and superb verses on this record. The guy can rap. But with the expectations set by the industry and himself, this album is far from classic work. Especially from someone who claims to run hip hop!

Get the record. Expect to hear great verses, great colabs (Jeezy, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, T.I., Alicia Keys), but thats about it. My Fav is "Thank Me Now."

DaNastyOne

Grade: B-

Hip Hop Artist Spark Screaming Tattoo Craze

Everyone knows that along with heat, fun, and cookouts, summertime brings the craze of getting "tatted up". Fashion Newspaper places the blame of young teens wanting hip hop tattoos on the hottest hip hop artists. The newspaper claims that the ink seen on 50 cent, Lil Wayne, and Eminem serve as inspiration for the screaming crave of hip hop tattoos. Now as we all know, people want tattoos that have a specific meaning. Is it really fair to say that getting your hometown tattooed on your back or initials on your arm was an idea given to you by a hip hop artist? I have two tattoos, both of which were inspired by what I love the most. Do hip hop artist really deserve the credit for permanent symbols on our bodies? I don't think so. For more insight check out the article.~Dezired

http://www.fashionnewspaper.com/blogs/673/Hip-Hop-tattoo-storm-lead-to-screaming-tattoo-craze.html

Big Boi Stands Alone

Looka here! I know that I'm late, but it's never too late to let you know when something is hot. Take this from a person that is not the biggest Big Boi fan w/out Andre 3000, but this new single "Shutterbug" is blazing. This high impact head knocker is produced by Scott Storch. Check it out below. Also, click here to read why Jive records blocked Andre 3000 from appearing on Big Boi's upcoming album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty.

Gotta Love That New Ross!

Man this song goes hard, and the video goes even harder. I wonder if this video was a Kanye diss?!