Fresh off the heels of Beyonce’s “Run the World (Girls)” video debut, the next single from her forthcoming album, 4, has leaked to the web. “Till the End of Time” is  a diversion from her first, girl power anthem and an impassioned call for everlasting love.

“Come take my hand, I wont let you go/ I’ll be your friend, I will love you so/I will be the one to kiss you at night, I will love you until the end of time”

The production is a fusion of styles and pulls from a Beyonce favorite, big band horns, in addition to African drum beats, synthesizers and  techno. Read more for a listen of “Till the End of Time.”

Photo: LA Times

What do you think, did Beyonce make another hit?

“They keep talking this is ‘new West,’ but dude we been here, you left.” – Pac Div

Okay, so maybe we took a brief departure from the left coast with the surge of music coming from below the Mason-Dixon but we’re back, we’re listening. With the advent of path-breaking West coast emcees, Dom Kennedy, Pac Div, Blu, and Kendrick Lamar among others, the world has been all ears. Enter, H.O.P.E. His last formal project was in 2009, a project titled, Follow the Leader, and two years later H.O.P.E. is back with a free album, Believe in H.O.P.E. Wright. Give it a listen, the kid’s all right.

H.O.P.E. – Believe in H.O.P.E. Wright | Download Here

Believe In H.O.P.E. Wright by julien-edwards

25 Magazine’s Letese Clark gives Drake’s Thank Me Later a first listen.

WORDS BY LETESE CLARK

The Canadian native Aubrey Graham, better known as Drake, has finally released his debut album Thank Me Later after much anticipation. It seems as if it was yesterday when he was Jimmy on the hit television series Degrassi. Drake established fame as one of the strongest emerging artists today with his mixtape So Far Gone, and Thank Me Later marks the beginning of what will probably be a long, lucrative career. The album includes production by Kanye West, Noah “40” Shebib, Boi-1da, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. For Drake’s sake, here’s hoping that Thank Me Later slow sells a million.

1. “Fireworks” Feat. Alicia Keys
The opening track is the beginning of never-ending story and celebration, hence the firework sound effects at the start. Alicia Key’s soulful vocals foreshadows the story that unfolds throughout the album.

2. “Karaoke”
This tracks to be one of the more lack luster exudes a R&B vibe, nothing too exciting.

3. “The Resistance”
Drake continues with the R&B flow on this track, this time speaking on the resistance to changing one’s character.

4. “Over”
The leading single is a return to hip-hop and the heavy hitting Drake as he dismisses the naysayers and continues to do him until it is all over—no the most original motto but still apreciated. This by far is the best track off the album and has the makings of an anthem.

5. “Show Me A Good Time”
Drake was never one for humility. He works hard and isn’t afraid to let it be known. On this track, Drake is looking forward to being shown a good time as a reward for putting in work.

6. “Up All Night” Feat. Nicki Minaj
Another track declaring to the haters that he is on top of his game but this time Drake shouts out his Young Money crew and their contributions to his fame. Nicki Minaj offers a laid-back but nevertheless hard-hitting verse minus her usual theatrics.

7. “Fancy” Feat. Swizz Beatz
Finally, a track for the ladies. This collaboration is an anthem for the independent, intelligent, well-kept and well, fancy woman.

8. “Shut It Down” Feat. The Dream
Drake has teamed up with The Dream to produce another hit strictly for the ladies. With one particular female in mind, the rapper proclaims that she is shutting it down in every aspect of her life. A likely follow-up to “Best I Ever Had.”

9. “Unforgettable” Feat.Young Jezzy
This track features a sample from the late Aaliyah. Both rappers plead fans to disregard the images presented by the paparazzi and remember them for their lyrics—lyrics they consider unforgettable.

10. “Light Up” Feat. Jay-Z
Late night studio sessions while everybody else is out partying and hating critics, this track is a testament to the strenuous music grind. Welcome to the industry.

11. “Miss Me” Feat. Lil Wayne
The album wouldn’t be complete without a lengthily verse from mentor, Lil Wayne. Drake goes on to rap about a variety of things on this track most notably, his love for Nicki Minaj, but in the ends he just wants fans to miss him when he’s gone.

12. “Cece’s Interlude”
This R&B interlude has Drake open, aching for the one that got away. Another joint for the woman he’s tripped up over.

13. “Find Your Love”
The large Caribbean population in Canada has not left Drake untouched. This second single offers an island take to Drake’s ongoing love affairs.

14. “Thank Me Now”
“Thank Me Later, yeah I know what I said but later doesn’t always come so instead you can thank me now” Drake could not have found a better track to close out his debut album with as he declares his spot in hip hop.

Hey, it’s Vince with Eminem’s new album, Recovery, and you’re gonna be clappin’ when you hear Eminem rappin’.

In an attempt to garner buzz of the viral fashion, Eminem has enlisted the help of Vince of ShamWow fame to hype up his album Recovery, scheduled for a June 21 release date.

The release date was pushed up by a day to help soften the blow of the album’s leak last week, reports MTV.

Recovery will feature Pink, Lil Wayne, Rihanna and Kobe. The album’s first single, “Not Afraid,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.  Eminiem’s early success may be a sign that the album leak won’t put a hamper on his expected record sales.

Recovery Tracklist:

1. “Cold Wind Blows”

2. “Talkin’ 2 Myself” (featuring Kobe)

3. “On Fire”

4. “Won’t Back Down” (featuring Pink)

5. “W.T.P.”

6. “Going Through Changes”

7. “Not Afraid”

8. “Seduction”

9. “No Love” (featuring Lil Wayne)

10. “Space Bound”

11. “Cinderella Man”

12. “25 to Life”

13. “So Bad”

14. “Almost Famous”

15. “Love the Way You Lie” (featuring Rihanna)

16. “You’re Never Over”

Neo-soul artist Leela James is set to release her second album My Soul on May 25, 2010. The album marks her debut on Stax Records, a division of Concord Music Group. The first single off the album is “Tell Me You Love Me,” a track produced by Gerrard Baker and that she co-wrote with Andrea Martin and Gordon Williams.

Rhymefest releases mixtape prelude to upcoming album.

Dangerous 5-18 is the mixtape prelude to Rhymefest’s long
awaited El Che album, expected to drop May 18. Be sure to download the mixtape.

Dangerous 5-18 – Rhymefest | Download Here

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten some new material from Kelis. However, she has finally delivered the video for her latest single “Acapella.” The vibrant, yet bizarre imagery perfectly mirrors the techno track. Kelis treata viewers by concluding the video walking off with her baby boy strapped to her back. We can look forward to her album Flesh Tone on June 22.

Erykah Badu releases the video to “Window Seat,” a song off her anticipated album New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh. The album is expected to drop March 30.

WORDS BY KIAH MCBRIDE

At first glance, Shawn Chrystopher is the epitome of a California native. Skinny jeans and t-shirts from an expansive color palette adorn his small frame coupled with a “too-cool-for-school” vibe.  There is something about him that sends you cyber-surfing his name.  It could be that his infatuation with cartoons and jaunty demeanor or his staunch college boy bravado. Whatever the case, you find that Chrystopher brings a ferent perspective to west coast music. While his sound does allude to strong Lupe Fiasco and Kanye West influences, Chrystopher offers his own story and musical creations—he often produces his own tracks—that give him mainstream appeal.

It’s clear that Shawn Chrystopher isn’t your typical Cali artist. He grew up in Inglewood, CA listening to punk rock artists like Green Day, and graduated from high school at the age of 16. He scored a four-and-a-half year scholarship to the University of Southern California and by 2009, landed an ad campaign with LRG clothing line for their 10^th Anniversary.  Not bad for a kid in glasses.

His first mixtape titled Keep Your Classroom Vol 1. received over 10,000 downloads and was an introduction to what is now considered the “new age” sound of educated artists. In August 2009, he released A City With No Seasons—an album that he hoped would separate his sound from artists that he’s often grouped with like Wale.

Now Chrystopher is back with his upcoming EP, The Audition, scheduled for a March 23 release date. Unlike previous projects, Chrystopher comes with more light-hearted rhymes that will surprise fans accustomed to his intellectual lyrics. His first single, “Like A Kid Again,” boasts a fun, relatable sound, and tips a hat off to the art imitates life adage. Always ahead of the curve, Shawn Chrystopher is poised to take on the ever-evolving music industry and change the image of west coast hip-hop.

Check out his single “Can’t Take That From Me” off of his EP, The Audition:
Can’t Take That From Me – Shawn Chrystopher by  25Mag

25 Magazine: What separates your sound from other hip-hop artists old and new?

Shawn Chrystopher: I think of music as fingerprints. I don’t think that anybody can make the same music. I think that if you have a piano, a guitar, and a drum set in a room and you put 15,000 bands in that room one after another, neither one of them will make that same exact song. Even though you have the same instruments you all have different songs. I think with me, my music is different because it’s mine. I have a story that nobody else can tell because I’m talking about my life. When it comes to sound, I grew up in Inglewood, CA so I’m five minutes from some of the richest people in California and I’m five minutes from some of the poorest people, so I would listen to everything. I used to be really into Green Day and then I would listen to Bone Thugs-N- Harmony. I was really into 2Pac and I listened to John Mayer.  So you have all of that in me; I just mixed it all together so I think it’s unique because it’s mine.

25: In one interview you said that you studied rap like you would study your schoolwork. Who and what specifically did you study?

SC: I would study what songs were popular and why they were popular and which songs weren’t.  I remember one year when Juvenile’s “Slow Motion” was the number one song in the country. I was like, this isn’t a club song and it’s not up-tempo; it’s so hood but it’s the number one song on the Billboard. I would just sit and try to figure out why certain songs were big and others weren’t. Why certain artists make it and why other artists’ second album destroyed them.

Like A Kid Again – Shawn Chrystopher by  Jabari

25: Your latest single “Like A Kid” off your EP The Audition is a fun tribute to going back to your childhood days. What was your life like as a child?

SC: I have a seven-year-old sister but I was practically out of the house by the time she was born, so I grew up an only child.  I was a Latchkey kid so I would come home and my mom would still be at work so I had to entertain myself. TV really stimulated my mind because I would watch everything and I would learn how to talk, how to walk, how to act, and how to dress. Other than TV I had some of the best neighbors. I still talk to my neighbors that I grew up with as a kid; we’re really good friends.  I grew up in a house so I had a backyard, was able to go out and play, and have block parties. That made my childhood fun because I could ride a bike. That’s why I started the song off “I used to ride bikes” because I was the kid on the bike in my neighborhood. I rode the bike from sun up to sun down; I had nowhere to go most of the time I just liked bikes. Basketball and riding bikes was my childhood, and cartoons.  Actually, that still is my life. I need to grow up!

25: What should we expect to hear on your upcoming EP The Audition compared to your other EPs like No One Knows You?

SC: Really dope shit. I tried my best to create a different sound that I’ve never done before. My past music was really intellectual and I tried my best to not be like anybody in my area, and sometimes I went over people’s heads.  I tried to over think my music too much in order to stand out when really I could just be myself and stand out. So this project is more me than I’ve ever done. I have fun with it, tell jokes on songs—I personally don’t take life too seriously because I like to have fun. I think that it’s something that people can relate to; people can have fun with it and play it in their cars. I think people really are going to fuck with it.

25: Are you going to pursue production more than being an artist in the future?

SC: Not more so than being an artist but production can carry me a long way because I can produce until I’m dead. I can’t rap when I’m 50. I will never turn my back on either one of them—I love them equally because I love to perform, I love to be in front of the crowd, but I also like to create music. As a producer, the same way a painter paints a blank canvas, we make songs out of silence. We sit in the studio with nothing and we create something that people either love or hate, but at the end of the day we started from silence. That’s something that I thank God every day that I have the ability to do—that I can create art from silence. I would never stop producing or rapping; I would do both until people get tired of hearing me rap and then I can produce the rest of my life. 

Photo courtesy of Elitaste Management

25: What impact would you like to make in hip-hop music?

SC: The whole purpose of doing what I do is that I want people to see the west coast in different light. I think that with movies like Menace II Society and Boyz in the Hood people automatically think that’s all we are, especially in Los Angeles.  What the gangster rappers did for L.A., like 2Pac put us on the map, I want to do for L.A., just on the other side of the spectrum.

25: Where do you see your self musically in the next five years?

SC: I think I will already have at least one Grammy or Grammy nomination, I will be on the cover of a few magazines, and have foot in the door for pursuing fashion. I really love fashion. I don’t just want a clothing line; I want to design for high end line that’s already out. In five years I think I’ll be able to travel, meet people, and go to fashion shows. Then I’ll be able to do both music and fashion.

25: What is something that fans might not know about you?

SC: I watch TV on mute. It started out when I was little. I used to be up late watching TV on mute because I didn’t want my mom to know.  When I would watch TV on mute I would make up my own stories with dialogue and everything. It was all in my head and had nothing to do with the show, but it made me feel like I wrote it. Now people come over my crib and point out that the TV has been on mute for two hours, but I don’t even notice anymore. I love watching TV on mute because I can still do other things and at the same time create my own episode.

Check out Shawn Chrytopher’s commercial for upcoming EP, The Audition:

The Audition – Shawn Chrystopher | Download Here

Shawn Chrystopher releases EP, The Audition. Unlike previous projects, Chrystopher comes with more light-hearted rhymes that will surprise fans accustomed to his intellectual lyrics. His first single, “Like A Kid Again,” boasts a fun, relatable sound, and tips a hat off to the art imitates life adage. Editor, Kiah McBride recently interviewed Shawn Chrystopher, read it here. Download and tracklist after the jump!

The Audition – Shawn Chrystopher | Download Here

Rapper Pharoahe Monch readies new album, W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) to be released through his company W.A.R. Media and Duck Down Music later this year.

W.A.R., will serve as Monch’s third LP and a follow-up to his 2007 effort, Desire which charted at No. 58 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop chart.

“This album deals with conflicts and resolutions of the spirit, the soul, the government, and the industry among other things,” Monch said in a statement. “I am working diligently to finish the work for a summer release and I am honored to join forces with the Duck Down family during their 15 year anniversary.”

The album will feature Living Colour guitarist, Vernon Reid, Jean Grae, Styles P, Phonte and Black Thought as well as production from M-Phazes, Marco Polo, Mike Low, Fatin, Lee Stone and Exile. [Photo: ]

Pharoahe Monch is also scheduled to go on a Candian tour with Slaughterhouse in April.

Canadian Tour Dates:

April 3              Saint John, NB            Evolution Nightclub
April 4              St. John’s, NF              Club One
April 5              Halifax, NS                   Paragone Theatre
April 7              Ottawa, ON                   Ritual Nightclub
Aprill 8            Toronto, ON                  Venue TBC
April 9              Cornwall, ON                Rangatangs Nightclub
April 10            Montreal, QC                Telus Theatre
April 12            Thunder Bay, ON          Roxys Nightclub
April 13            Winnipeg, MB              Pyramid Cabaret
April 14            Saskatoon, SK               Odeon Events Centre
April 15            Calgary, AB                    The Whiskey Nightclub
April 16            Edmonton, AB               Starlite Room
April 17            Lethbridge, AB              Venue TBC
Aprl 18             Nelson, BC                      Spirit Bar
April 21            Victoria, BC                    Element
April 22            Vancouver, BC               Venue TBC

d

ALBUMS

B. Dolan | Fallen House Sunken City (Strange Famous Records) 3.2.10
This rapper/poet/activist’s seventh album features artists P.O.S. and Cadence Weapon and was produced by Alias.

DJ Khaled | Victory (E1 Entertainment) 3.2.10
Victory is DJ Khaled’s fourth album. The self-produced album features Usher, Drake, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Diddy, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, T-pain, Snoop Dogg, Plies, Bun B, and many more.

FILM

Brooklyn’s Finest | Starring Don Cheadle, Wesley Snipes, Richard Gere, Ethan Hawke (Overture Films)
Release Date: March 5, 2010
Director: Antoine Fugua
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Thriller and Crime/Gangster
In a period of seven days three NYPD officers become unavoidably involved in the same fatal crime scene.

Alice in Wonderland | Starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry (Walt Disney Pictures)
Release Date: March 5, 2010
Director: Tim Burton
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy and Adaptation
At the age of nineteen, Alice returns to the fanciful land she ventured to as a young girl to meet up with old friends, end the reign of the Red Queen and find her true destiny.

Stolen | Starring Josh Lucas, Jon Hamm, Jimmy Bennett, Morena Baccarin, Jessica Chastain (IFC Films)
Release Date: March 5, 2010
Director: Anders Anderson
Genre: Drama and Thriller
An obsessive detective searches for the answers behind his son’s disappearance when he uncovers the remains of a young boy.

BOOKS

House Rules by Jodi Picoult (Atria)
Release Date: March 2, 2010
A boy with Asperger’s syndrome is accused of murder due to prejudices about his disability.  The mystery of who actually committed the murder is slowly uncovered.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith (Grand Central)
Release Date: March 2, 2010
The author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies returns with this spoof which uncovers Abraham Lincoln’s secret connection to vampires.

Inspectah Deck prepares to drop album March 23. Tracklist and download link after the jump!

Inspectah Deck preps to release his fourth solo album, “Manifesto” on March 23.

Download one of the songs, “Serious Rappin” ft. Termanology & Planet Asia, for free here.

TRACKLISTING:

1. Tombstone Intro (Prod. by J.Glaze)
2. The Champion (Prod. by Alchemist)
3. Born Survivor ft Cormega (Prod. by Moss)
4. This Is It (Prod. by Dtox)
5. Luv Letter ft Ms. Whitney (Prod. by INS)
6. P.S.A (Prod. by Lee Bannon)
7. T.R.U.E ft. MeShel (Prod. by INS)
8. We Get Down (Prod. by INS)
9. The Big Game ft Raekwon & AC (Prod. by Mental Instruments)
10. Tombstone Interlude (Prod. by J.Glaze)
11. 9th Chamber (Prod. by INS and Khino)
12. Really Real ft. Carlton Fisk & Fes Taylor (Prod. by INS)
13. Serious Rappin ft Termanology & Planet Asia (Prod. by Mike Cash)
14. Do What U Gotta (Prod. by Flip)
15. Crazy (Prod. by J.Glaze)
16. Gotta Bang ft Kurupt and Billy Danze (Prod. by Shorty 140)
17. The Bad Apple (Prod. by K.Slack)
18. Brothaz Respect ft Cappadonna and Fes Taylor (Prod. by Cee the Architech)
19. 5 Star G (Prod. by Moss)
20. The Neverending Story ft Pleasant (Prod. by Agallah)

New song leaks from Basic Vocab’s upcoming album.

“Like A Star” featuring Jesse Boykins III is the third leak from Miami based Basic Vocab’s new album A Better Way, which drops in April.

Download it here.

Wiz Khalifa has released a video for his single “This Plane” off his debut album Deal Or No Deal, in stores now. The video highlights the jet set, rock-star lifestyle of the young artist; compiling clips of his travels and performances. Starting this month, Wiz has launched a tour in support of his album.   

Chicago duo, Kidz In The Hall prepare to drop their album Land of Make Believe. Tracklist after the jump!

KITH’s album is entirely produced by Double-O and features various artists such as MC Lyte, Amanda Diva, The Kid Daytona, Marsha Ambrosius, and more. Land of Make Believe is available in stores March 9^th.

Tracklisting:

1. Intro
2. Traffic
3. Flickin
4. Out To Lunch ft. The Kid Daytona
5. Bougie Girls ft. Russoul
6. Jukebox ft. MC Lyte
7. L_O_V_E
8. Will II Win ft. Marsha Ambrosius
9. Take Over The World ft. Just Blaze & Colin Munroe (co-produced by Just Blaze)
10. Fresh Academy ft. Chip Tha Ripper & Donnis
11. Simple Life ft. Amanda Diva
12. Running ft. Tim William
13. Do It All Again (I Am)
14. I Am (Reprise)
15. Rise & Shine ft. Russoul

Redman releases second single from new album.

“Oh My” is the second single from Redman’s new album, Reggie Noble 9 1/2. Give it a listen. Download it here.

Shouts to NahRight!

Eminem’s Relapse reissue LP, Refill drops tomorrow, Dec. 21. Bonus Tracklist and artwork after the jump!

TRACKLIST

1. Forever ft Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne
2. Hell Breaks Loose
3. Buffalo Bill
4. Elevator
5. Taking My Ball
6. Music Box
7. Drop The Bomb On ‘Em

Diggy Simmons drops new mixtape, The First Flight.

Diggy Simmons, son of famed religious figure and rapper Rev Run,  is stepping into the rap game. “Point to Prove” is the first single on his mixtape The First Flight, which drops November 24th.

NPR has released their list of the 50 Most Important Recordings of The Decade. Rap and R&B only accounted for about a dozen and included albums from the usual suspects, Jay-Z and Beyonce as well as the less expected, Little Brother. See the complete list after the jump.

The 50 Most Important Recordings Of The Decade

01. John Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls
02. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion
03. The Arcade Fire: Funeral
04. The Bad Plus: These Are The Vistas
05. Beyonce: Dangerously In Love
06. Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
07. Bright Eyes: I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning
08. Burial: Untrue
09. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: S/T
10. Kelly Clarkson: Breakaway
11. Coldplay: A Rush Of Blood To The Head
12. Danger Mouse: The Grey Album
13. Death Cab For Cutie: Transatlanticism
14. The Decemberists: The Crane Wife
15. Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
16. The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
17. Osvaldo Golijov: La Pasión Segun San Marcos (Saint Mark’s Passion)
18. Green Day: American Idiot
19. Iron And Wine: Our Endless Numbered Days
20. Jay-Z: The Blueprint
21. Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
22. Juanes: Fijate Bien
23. LCD Soundsystem: Sound Of Silver
24. Lil’ Wayne: Tha Carter III
25. Little Brother: The Listening
26. M.I.A.: Kala
27. Yo-Yo Ma: Silk Road Journeys: When Strangers Meet
28. Mastodon: Black Stars
29. Jason Moran: Black Stars
30. OutKast: Stankonia
31. Brad Paisley: 5th Gear
32. Panda Bear: Person Pitch
33. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: The Rising
34. The Postal Service: Give Up
35. Radiohead: In Rainbows
36. Radiohead: Kid A
37. Shakira: Fijación Oral, Vol. 1
38. Sigur Ros: ( )
39. Britney Spears: In The Zone
40. Sufjan Stevens: Illinois
41. The Strokes: Is This It
42. The Swell Season: Once Soundtrack
43. Ali Farka Toure & Toumani Diabate: In The Heart of the Moon
44. TV On The Radio: Return To Cookie Mountain
45. Various: Garden State Soundtrack
46. Various: O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack
47. Kanye West: The College Dropout
48. The White Stripes: White Blood Cells
49. Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
50. Amy Winehouse: Back To Black

We think some notables are missing from the list, what do you think?

New Beyonce & Lady Gaga video for single, ”Video Phone.”

Reminds us of the Kanye West x Jamie Foxx “Gold Digger” video, what do you think?

25 Magazine reviews Chris Brown’s video for “Crawl.”

Crawling back up the charts is Chris Brown with his second single “Crawl” of his forthcoming album, Graffiti. The video features Cassie as his love interest whom he is trying to restore love with.  The cold breaths, sounds of thumping hearts, and Brown’s signature dancing were extra elements that boosted the creative edge of the video.  As he watches her from a distance, walks through a crowd of people and into her limousine, some question if the video as well as the song is offering another apology to songstress Rihanna.

-Letese` Clark

25 Magazine’s India Banks gives Wale’s debut album Attention Deficit, a first listen.

Words by India Banks

D.C. native and rapper, Wale has officiated the DMV’s recognition as a growing niche in the hip hop world, with his debut album Attention Deficit. On his road from underground rapper to an internationally known artist, Wale built his mound through his past three mixtapes: Seinfield, A Mixtape About Nothing, and his recent June release, Back to the Feature. With these mixtapes being his main outputs and his album release date being pushed back from October 20th to November 11th, hip-hop lovers have anxiously craved his debut. Yet the wait was well worth it. Wale manages to fill the vacant spot for the DMV on the international hip-hop scene with his first two singles “Chillin” and “Pretty Girls,” which both carry the essence of D.C. go-go music. Instead of Wale selfishly professing his lyrical skills on Attention Deficit, he spits about real life issues from insecure females on the track, “Diary,” to blacks facing colorism on the Chrisette Michele vocal driven track, “Shades.” This album allows this altruistic artist to demand respect not only for the DMV, but additionally as a successful newcomer.

1. “Triumph” – Wale starts off strong with this jazzy tune complimented with big horns. He shouts out Lily Allen and Kanye West for helping him rise. Wale shows he means business as he opens with the line “I aint tryna be politically correct, but I won’t rest til I’m given my respect.”

2. “Mama Told Me” – This track instantly grabs your attention with the heavy bass. Wale spits about how difficult it is to make it to the top. He shouts out some people that have helped him make it this far.

3. “Mirrors” – Wale teams with Bun B to express how most artists are fake and can’t face themselves in the mirror. He lyrically challenges his haters to fight to see who’s the realest. The gothic guitars and heavy drums add to the intense mood of this track.

4. “Pretty Girls” – Wale attracts his female and DMV fan base with his hit single, that features Back Yard Band’s signature go-go beat. He teams with southern rapper Gucci Mane and demands the ‘Pretty girls’ to clap and the ‘ugly girls’ to be quiet.

5. “World Tour” – This track reveals Wale’s progress from being a dropout to traveling the world to perform for his fans. From New York to London, he’s gonna take us ‘all around the globe.’ Jazmine Sullivan’s powerful add libs add more momentum to this track.

6. “Let It Loose” – This track offers the typical ‘girls just wanna have fun’ theme as Wale and Pharrel describe the party girls who are ready to release their wild side and down for those one night stands.

7. “90210″ – Wale raps over this Nintendoish beat filled with electronic pulses as he describes the stereotypical L.A. girl, who has high dreams of becoming a celebrity. “She throws up whatever she eat/she leaves the bathroom with a nose bleed/regular girl, celebrity dreams/ she is 90210.”

8. “Shades” – Wale collabs with Chrisette Michele and deeply hits another topic that exists within him, but that is rarely made public. He professes that when he was younger; he was timid because of his darker skin and encourages blacks to not be ashamed of the shade of their skin. “I never fit in with them light skins/I felt the lighter they was, the better that they life is.”

9. “Chillin” – Wale puts the DMV area on the map and professes his cockiness in this first hit single. This track poses as his introduction to the industry. Lady Gaga’s sweet, catchy hook will have listeners chanting nonstop.

10. “TV in the Radio” – The rocking beat, electric guitar, classic horns, and K’naan’s unique voice gives this track a captivating sound. Wale gets hype about his style and individuality.

11. “Contemplate” – This track samples the hook from Rhianna’s “Question Existing,” which compliments the dark lyrics of Wale questioning his place in hip hop.

12. “Diary” – Wale unites with Marsha Ambrosius to present a black girl having difficulties holding her own. He opens his diary to help heal her pain and regain her independence.

13. “Beautiful Bliss” – Melanie Fiona opens this track with her soothing voice claiming, “It’s a beautiful day.” The horns and extensive piano contributes to the positive mood as Wale encourages listeners to focus on the prize at the end of the day.

14. “Prescription” – The D.C. native successfully sums up his album with a smooth beat of the congos, flutes, and soft piano keys. Wale proudly states that he is the new face of hip hop and his “lang. will provide as a pain killer.”

25 reviews Mario’s “Thinkin’ About You”

Mario introduces “Thinkin’ About You”, the second single off his fourth studio album, D.N.A. It has a percussive, yet smooth vibe that will be sure make it a club hit. Intrigued by one particular female, Mario just cannot seem pull his thoughts away from her and makes it clear that he wants her to stay with him. Though not lyrically complex, “Thinkin’ About You” is still a solid song that will draw listeners to experience the rest of his new album.

–Letese` Clark

25 Magazine catches up with Price Tag and Oktane of Audio Push before Howard Homecoming Yardfest.

The world is infatuated with the jerking frenzy that is taking over hip-hop, and the Audio Push was ready to bring Howard University along on the bandwagon. The California natives gave a high energy performance, not holding back any extreme jerking  moves, but 25 Magazine got to catch up with them before they set the stage on fire:

25: How are you feeling Howard’s Homecoming so far?
Oktane: So far it’s crazy!

25: What are you going to bring to the stage today?
Price Tag: It’s gonna be dope. When we perform, we’re going to make sure this place is poppin’.

25: What songs are you going to perform?
Oktane: We’re going to do “Teach Me How to Jerk” and then perform our second single, “Go.”

25: Tell me about your album.
Price Tag: Well, right now we have a mixtape called The Soundtrack and it’s dropping October 26th. Then our album is coming out in March 2010 called Birth of Audio.

25: Thanks for giving us the updates. Good luck on your performance!

The cover art for for Jay-Z’s recent LP, Blueprint 3, was hardly a Photoshop effort. Photographer Dan Tobin Smith actually built the white instruments structure and painted on the red stripes. Check out the behind-the- scenes video after the jump!

Check out Rhapsody’s latest commercial chronicling Jay-Z’s catalog over the years though his album covers.

25 Magazine’s India Banks gives Kid Cudi’s debut album Man on the Moon: The End of Day, a first listen.

Words by India Banks

Last year Kid Cudi released his first mixtape A Kid Named Cudi, and now a year later he’s released Man on the Moon: The End of Day, his debut album. One of the most buzzed about rap rookies in 2009, Cudi has peeled back his layers, allowing a transparent view of the internal struggles that made him feel alienable in this world, thus becoming “man on the moon.” Cudi crafts an experimental “electro-hop” album with melodious lyrics, into five different ‘Acts’ with rapper Common as narrator. The album features collaborations from Ratatat, MGMT, and Kanye West amongst others. Although Cudi shows worry and disdain on tracks like “Solo Dolo” and “Alive (Nightmare),” the songs “Pursuit of Happiness” and “Up Up Away” show Cudi’s emphatic views on his future. He may feel like he’s in a world of his own right now, but his extrinsic nature is a new wind gaining force in the evolving genre of hip-hop.

Act I: The End of Day

1. “In My Dreams” – Also known as the “Cudder Anthem,” Cudi enters his quest to outer space and invites his listeners into his dreams and thoughts.

2. “Soundtrack 2 My Life” – Cudi describes life’s depressing moments. He admits that he has hidden issues that he can only clearly express through his lyrics.

3. “Simple As…” – With lines such as, “I can’t be lame, I’m cooler than that,” Cudi shows his boastful side. He brushes off his shoulders to all his haters and keeps it moving.

Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors

4. “Solo Dolo” – This track is the opening to “Act II: Rise of the Night Terrors.” The slow beat and eerie background effects create a sinister theme. Cudi feels lonely, and he needs no one else as he is “soaring through paradise.”

5. “Heart of a Lion” –Cudi makes it clear that no one can break him. He is well on his path and is determined to accomplish his goals regardless of critics’ thoughts or actions.

6. “My World” – Cudi reminisces on times when his self esteem was low and no one cared about him. But he proudly affirms that “this will be my world,” to all the nay-sayers.

Act III: Taking a Trip

7. “Day N’ Nite” – The song subliminally revolves around using drugs to escape depression. The clever electro backdrops and heavy bass add to the overall sound of the track.

8. “Sky Might Fall” – This track puts listeners’ imaginations to work! Cudi spits, “Grey clouds stuck together fam/ lightening piercing through another land/ over the desert where the lost play/ soul searching each and every way, and then you see the awesome sounds.

9. “Enter Galactic (Love Connection)” – Cudi sings of his significant other joining him in entering a ‘galactic’ high.

Act IV: Stuck

10. “Alive (Nightmare)” – This is the classic tale of the werewolf-half man half monster, in which the latter comes alive with the full moon. Cudi eerily draws personal comparisons from this character.

11. “Cudi Zone” – Once again Cudi explains his contentment when he “soars high.”

12. “Make Her Say” – Kanye West and Common join Cudi on a tale of three men spitting about their humorous sexual conquests on a sample of Lady Gaga’s, “Poker Face.” Cudi’s verse is a refreshing change from the stop-start flow of his previous tracks.

13. “Pursuit of Happiness” – The combination of hip-hop and techno makes this track a success. These addictive lyrics are actually positive and simple. The smooth beat gives off a mellow vibe.

Act V: A New Beginning

14. Hyyerr – Another narcotic driven song! The mid-tempo beat and background claps are relaxing. “Hyyerr” is the first track where Cudi doesn’t use metaphors for drugs. His lyrics are blunt. “Back in high school smoke weed when I cut class and now I’m an addict tragic stay rolling up while reclining.”

15. Up, Up & Away – Great track to end this rather interesting album. It’s a new day and nothing has changed. Cudi states that he continues to be himself because people will judge anyway. His carefree attitude adds to his self-confidence.

Hip hop is tired of being hip-hop. Kanye is diving further into fashion, Lil’ Wayne is engaged in a torrid affair with rock & roll, and everyday a new rapper starts a film career. Some fans claim that artists need to branch out creatively to express themselves, while some cynics scream that strolling down every media avenue is just a shrewd attempt at getting rich. Whatever the case, spreading talent too thin leads to a decline in quality music. Cliché rants about Hip hop being dead come to mind. Just as we were all beginning to dread flipping on the radio, fresh voices are pumping in new blood to revive the music industry.

Such is the case with U-N-I, a rap duo hailing from Los Angeles, California. Their music seems to immediately connect with people. After releasing their first mixtape, Fried Chicken and Watermelon in 2007, U-N-I has been receiving increasing amounts of recognition from both listeners and the press, with growing coverage and performance opportunities. Avid rap heads have greeted each offering with the same greedy anticipation. Their follow-up mixtape Before There Was Love caused the blogosphere to ignite with reviews and promises of free downloads, and their latest musical contribution, A Love Supreme, which features the insanely catchy single “Hollywood Hiatus” enjoyed a similar welcome.

The men behind the music are members, Yonas “Y-O” Micheal and Yannick “Thurzday”Koffi. They met in high school in 1999. After realizing their mutual love of music, they began to devote their lunch periods to defeating cocky upperclassmen in rap battles. They soon joined a four-man group called Rap-Ture Kamp, but in 2006 they splintered off and began to work together. They derived their name from The Roots’ track “UNIverse at War,” one of their favorites, and have been sprinting after their shared goal of rap fame ever since, using mixtapes and performances to get them closer to their dreams.

They have made significant progress. Not only have their Google hits risen to internet-celebrity status, but their developing resume includes making Billboard Magazine’s “Acts to Watch” list and the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards “Best Breakout LA Artist” award.

Although this heightened interest in the duo means they are successfully breaking into the music industry, it also leaves room for lazy comparisons and knee-jerk expectations. Some take a glance at U-N-I’s mutual appreciation for bright colors and Y-O’s mohawk and instantly label them as “hipsters.” Others immediately assume that they will spout the g-funk that is heavily associated with the Los Angeles area. However they seem to be different, more honest. Their music centers on their individual memories, goals, shoe fetishes, and celebrity daydreams. There is a certain level of self-awareness in their lyrics, as they allow their clever rhymes and well-delivered punch lines to speak for themselves.

Check out their latest release “Land of Kings”:

25: Where’d your love for music come from?

Thurzday: It comes from the people we grew up listening to Mos Def, Talib, Redman, Nas, Biggie; we were really influenced by Prince, listened to that reggae music and all that stuff, so we really loved music.

25: How did you two meet?

Y-O: We basically met in my freshman year and Thurzday’s sophomore year at St. Bernard High it was 1999. We met during lunchtime when we were either playing basketball, or on the courtyard doing freestyles up against upperclassmen and we just became the talk around campus, because we just demolished these upperclassmen who just thought they were just the ish and we did a talent show and joined a four man group during our high school years, we put out a couple of mix tapes, albums, and the request that they wanted to hear myself and Thurzday [do something together] so finally we made that division and we hopped out in ’06 and followed that with Fried Chicken and Watermelon in the year 2007.

25: What made you decide to really pursue a career in music?

Thurzday: Because 9-5’s are wack! I couldn’t see myself doing anything else that made me happy. This is what I wanted to do since I was a kid. Some people wonder why –it was like, the only thing we wanted to do as far as having a career. I looked up to people who’ve done it and I could never see myself doing anything else.

25: What made you realize that a career in music was right for you? How did it make you feel?

Y-O: Well, music has always been a part of our lives. I can tell you that growing up as a kid there was always music being played in our houses. But, before I got deep into music, there was always basketball, and with basketball, you know, you warm up to music. So, I noticed as I got older music has just always been something that was a part of me growing up as a kid and it just always made me feel so happy. When you write rhymes it’s just a way of [releasing] some stress off, getting stuff off your mind, and just putting it in your own words, and it just makes you happy; makes you get through the day easier. So, when we did the talent show in high school and just hearing the people’s reaction that kinda, like, made me feel great and I said to myself, “This could be a future; something I could do later on down the line.” So, just getting older and older and doing more shows—I guess I just took it more seriously and people respected it.

25: Many complain about a lack of originality in the music industry. What makes you different?

Thurzday: We’re not anybody else. We’re only us. So that’s like the only thing that makes us different from anybody. Everybody hasn’t lived our lifestyle. Everybody hasn’t experienced what we’ve experienced. So, through our own voice, we project who we are throughout our music. And it’s nobody but us. So, that’s really what makes us original. We’re true emcees. You know, we’re not a gimmick act. We really have talent, and we display that.

Y-O: And just to back him up. Our music is about things that actually happened in our lives, but outside of that, our live shows. I would say that It should be mentioned that even though we don’t have the biggest amount of money backing us up, we’re able to put our minds together-myself, Thurzday, our DJ and sometimes our band-and we just put on a live [ass] show, which some artists are not able to do these days.

25: Speaking of your music, it seems that you have a thing for Lauren London?

Y-O: Yeah, that’s a true story, once again. The song was basically inspired just from me having a crush on Lauren London, and I brought it up in the studio, with Ro Blvd, and we were just all joking and laughing about it. Everybody was like, “Yeah, she’s hot”. So, we started laughing about it, and it eventually turned into a record. She actually heard the record, and I guess it put a smile on her face. I thought she responded on Twitter, and she hit us up, well a fake hit us up, saying she loves the music, and she was acting real brand new. Then I remembered months ago that she’d heard it, so I was like “This can’t be Lauren” so I asked her a question about a mutual friend and she had no clue who I was talking about, so that kinda like, brought me down cause I thought I was really talking to Lauren London and come to find out it was a fake, man.

25: And shoes? You like those enough to write a whole song about them, as well?

Thurzday: We basically got an idea to take the original “C.R.E.A.M”, from Wu-Tang, and apply it to our lifestyle and a lot of folks were into kicks at the time, so we changed it to “Kicks Rule Everything Around Me”. We shot a video for it, and it took off.

25: You’ve been receiving a lot of positive feedback lately from the media, but what’s your career goal?

Y-O: To be bigger than Kanye, with more money than Bill Gates.

25: Any advice for aspiring artists?

Thurzday: Starts with quality music, and a quality team and you can do anything.

Y-O: Step outside the box, just be yourself, and have fun—always have fun.

Download their music at www.yothurz.com

Check out the first installment of 25′s unsigned and undiscovered series, “The Breaks” featuring Yung Reno.

New York is not only the birth place of many music industry legends such as KRS-One, Jay-Z, Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kid Capri, but it is also the birth place of the music, the culture and the lifestyle that we know today as hip hop. Even with the title of being the birth place of hip hop, New York has lately fallen off the map and is constantly being replaced by the emerging hip hop scenes in Houston, Tallahassee and the Bay Area in California, but new up and coming artist and Queens native Nick “Yung Reno” Hamilton is determined to change that.

A reserved junior political science major at Howard University by day and a flashy emcee by night, Yung Reno shows the versatility of any successful artist on his mixtape, The City is Mine released in April 2009. On the track “Bars” he freestyles at a local radio station shouting out Howard University and the DC community, and shows his softer side with his track “Cupid,” a classic boy meets girl love story. With only his first mixtape under his belt, Yung Reno has a lot of work to do if he wants to put New York City back on the map and take his career to the next level, but with a heart full of determination, he doesn’t seem to mind.

25: Where did you draw inspiration from when recording The City is Mine?

I had the idea for the mixtape before I even got to Howard. The inspiration just came up basically from listening to a lot of different artists and by personal experiences from back home in New York and all around the city so that’s why I named it that.

25: Who is the person that inspired you to pick up the mic and start rhyming? How did you feel when you heard this person perform?

I would say Jay-Z being the New Yorker that I am and also UGK as a group. And Jay-Z being a New York dude and just seeing what he’s done. He started out like making himself as his own song like his own brand and you know who wouldn’t wanna do that?  And I just wonder if a little fella like me can do that. And UGK, they were just something different from what I was used to. They’re from Houston, Texas and I’m from New York and they had a different type of slang and different stories. I really think they kept it real on a regular. It was just what they said and how they put things together. Pimp C being more socially conscience. He’s more of the environmentally charged part of the group. They’re just really different from what I’m used to.

25: What sets you apart from the rest of the rappers that are out today? What is it about your lyrics or flow?

Well it’s the fact that I don’t have one type of sound. You know, some come out here gangster, some people be doing the social conscience rap. I feel like I’m good enough to be all around and talk about a little bit of everything and not just have one preference.

25: How different is Nick Hamilton the student and Yung Reno the artist? How do you balance both identities?

Well Nick is more reserved while the artist is more out there. Yung Reno the artist is the flashier one, not that it’s an act or anything, it’s just different kinds for different people. You can’t be Yung Reno in intro to political science or political science 101 or nothing like that. I guess I’m good at balancing both. Maybe because I’m not faking in either one of them. It’s all work and dedication.

25: Where do you see yourself musically in five years? What do hope to achieve?

Well I’ll be 25 then, and my sex appeal will probably be starting to fade, but in five years I see myself on top of the charts and a few million in. You know, I can see myself with a brand name because I started out early. I see myself in the upper echelon. As far as what I hope to achieve, I hope to change lives. Hopefully someone can hear what I’m doing and they can see themselves doing it. Just listening to my music and taking away from it whether its advice or just something to get through the day. That’s better than success.

You can find The City is Mine as well as new tracks from Yung Reno at myspace.com/yungrenosce

25 Magazine catches up with Von Pea and Donwill of rap trio Tanya Morgan on the heels of their LP,  Brooklynati.

Music has met its match, the internet, and over the past decade they’ve built a strong alliance and revolutionized music discovery and distribution. Many artists have benefited from the joining of the two mediums. Some notable offspring include Soulja Boy Tell’em, who has over 400 million views on YouTube; The Cool Kids, who formed after finding each other’s music on Myspace in 2005; and Asher Roth who was signed by Atlanta based manager Scooter Braun through Myspace in 2006. But long before these artists used the internet to network and share music, rap trio Tanya Morgan had already been there and done that.

Rapper Von Pea credits the internet for Tanya Morgan’s formation. Its connecting power brought Von Pea from Brooklyn, and Donwill and Ilyas from Cincinnati together. Back in 2000, Donwill was working with Ilyas in a group called Ilwill, and first heard Von Pea’s music on okayplayer.com. By 2003, the three emcees formed Tanya Morgan and released their first mixtape Sunlighting online in 2005, as well the EP Sunset later that year. In 2006, they dropped their debut album Moonlighting and took their career on the road. During the mid-2000s, Tanya Morgan made their presence in the indie Hip Hop circuit performing in Toronto’s NXNE Festival with Noveau Riche and performing in the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival with Consequence and Ghostface Killah. Just last week they headlined with Torae & Marco Polo at Southpaw in Brooklyn.

In the past six years, Tanya Morgan has received nods from rap notables De La Soul and Black Thought from The Roots for their affinity for both lyrical complexity and content. The trio has pumped a steady flow of music into the blogosphere over the past few years, releasing their mixtape Tanya Morgan Is A Rap Group and The Bridge EP in 2008, and their LP Brooklynati in June. Although Tanya Morgan has not hit the mainstream Hip Hop scene, their focus is not on commercial cross over. They understand true success, and rather than define themselves through records sold and Myspace hits, they’d rather focus on making the best “intelligent car music” possible.

25: What is the story behind Tanya Morgan’s name?

Donwill: Pretty much the name was designed for a one-off project. It was to throw people off with the album so they discover that it’s rap. It’s kind of like a weird inside joke and the name stuck. We’ve adopted several meanings to the name but it’s to expect the unexpected.

25: How did you all form Tanya Morgan?

Von Pea: Donwill and Ilyas met in college. They went to college together in North Carolina and they’re both from Cincinnati. I’m from Brooklyn. They hooked up and became homeboys in college. I was just starting to try to get my demo together. I was working with DJ Brainchild and Phonte back when Phonte was a solo artist. Donwill was one of the first people to hear my music when I first started in 2000, I guess through internet music sites like okayplayer.com and mp3.com. From there we started working with each other, but as far as being a group, me and Don became a group and he and Ilyas were already working together. From there, I just started working with both of them. We decided to do what was supposed to be a one-off project and we got stuck together.

25: You guys merge styles from Cincinnati and Brooklyn, how does that impact your sound?

Donwill: I would say our music is a mix of the east coast boom-bap and the mid-west stump. We make intelligent car music. It sounds good in your truck bunk and sounds good when you think about what we’re actually saying. In short, we make smart car music.

25: What distinguishes Brooklynati from your other productions?

Donwill: I think if people have ever heard anything that we’ve done it’s just a progression of the things we’ve done. It’s just everything is on a more professional, better version of what we’ve done. More thought out. We just did our own production this time around.

25: Do you think your music would be heard without the internet?

Von Pea: It would be interesting to see that, because we would have never become a group if not for the internet. I wouldn’t have any way to meet them, [Donwill and Ilyas]. I would have to go to Cincinnati. I don’t have friends or family in Cincinnati. They’re like my family in Cincinnati now but before them I had no reason to go to Cincinnati. We wouldn’t even be a group.

25: Why did you sign with Interdependent Media?

Donwill: We were actually, since our first album, signed with a subsidiary label called Loud Minority and that label got dissolved into Interdependent Media, as opposed to switching up the whole team that was part of the creative line up. A lot of our ideas are unconventional, and we wouldn’t be able to receive that sort of creative control from other vessels. So we just chose to rock with what we’ve been rocking with, and try to see what we can do together on a slightly larger scale.

25: How do you feel about the music industry and how has it impacted your work?

Von Pea: I feel like the music that we make is influenced from our life, and is the music that we gravitated to and listened to growing up. As far as hip hop, it’s more of the same. It hasn’t really changed. It’s more of a financial or monetizing thing. You see less intelligent music and more commercial, mainstream music. It’s harder to find, but if you go into Fat Beats, I guarantee it is all there. I think hip hop is okay. I think the rap game is in crutch right now because we don’t have record stores. We have Fat Beats and your local mom and pops. You go in there to look around and they carry our products and many of our friends. Hip hop is alive and well. It’s not really dead, it’s just harder to find.

25: You have been making music for some time, how do you feel about your slow rise to recognition?

Donwill: Still waters run deep. Nothing is overnight. Even if it looks overnight, it was probably 10 years in the making. You can’t really name an artist that was just concocted and rose to this meteoric success, without understating the 10 years or 20 years of work they put in until they get to that point of even having a meteoric rise. Name any artist, and there’s at least 10 years worth of grind and hustle. They just don’t talk about it because it’s behind them; it’s the past. It may work to be slow and steady, but 10 years from now after all is said and done and we have our cult following-I’m not in it for the fast run. The quicker you get in the quicker you leave.

25:What has been the defining moment for Tanya Morgan?

Von Pea: I think every time we meet artists that we grew up on, they always seem to know us and show us love. Just to see emcees we grew up on and we’ve learned so much from have respect for us, gets me every time. It’s been De La Soul, Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Thought from The Roots, the whole Hieroglyphics [artist roster], and DJ Jazzy Jeff. It’s been so many people that you would think pay you no mind at all, and then they go, “Oh yeah! We know you! We like what y’all do! Y’all are dope!” They understand that you’re the next generation of what they do. They still have the torch and they’re still running, but if they say, “If I stop today, the torch will be handed to y’all,” that’s special to me. That’s defining to me. That’s how we know we’re doing the right thing.