Fresh off the heels of “Marvin’s Room” and “Dreams Money Can Buy,” the Toronto emcee has dropped yet another free download in anticipation of his forthcoming album, Take Care. “Trust Issues” is a spin-off of Drake’s feature in DJ Khaled’s “I’m on One” alongside Rick Ross and Lil Wayne.

Drake describes the record as, “my own little thing using some other thing I did. You know,” on his blog, October’s Very Own.

Take Care is scheduled for an Oct. 24 release—Drake’s birthday. in the meantime, you can catch the Degrassi star in Toronto headlining Ovofest on July 31 with special guests Rick Ross and The Weeknd.

Drake - Trust Issues


DJ Khaled - I’m On One Ft. Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne


Drake - Marvin’s Room


Drake - Dreams Money Can Buy

What do you think of all the new material Drake has been releasing?

It’s Donwill’s birthday, so he’s giving you a present. For the past three years Donwill, one third of rap group Tanya Morgan, has released music on June 4, his born day, to show appreciation for his fans. This year is no different and Donwill is offering DPPLGNGR, a follow-up to his LP Don Cusack in High Fidelity, for free download.

the title comes from just becoming a whole different person over time, sorta like a doppelganger of  yourself. that feeling that you get when you look in the mirror and dont really know the person looking back at you even though they look just like you. our lives change us incrementally on a daily basis so after a few jarring experiences one day we all lose who we were to become who we are. thats life right? you change it or it changes you.

For more from Donwill on this project check out his blog McDayJob.

In the small hours of June 5, Kanye West released the official video for “Monster” featuring Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross on his official website. Previously, an unfinished version of the video had leaked in February featuring decapitated models and a sadomasochistic Nicki Minaj segment. New to the official version of the video–a disclaimer.

In what appears to be an attempt by West’s camp to deter a public relations scandal, the video opens with a disclaimer instead of it’s original Rick Ross cut. In February, the leaked version of the video prompted petitions to Universal Music Group and MTV asking senior management to cut support for the video due to images of “eroticized violence against women.” Despite garnering over 15,000 signatures on the online petition, few changes have been made to the video and instead, a disclaimer was added to the final production. After a minute into the video this much is clear, Kanye West certainly has a controversial interpretation of what it means to be a “monster,” one he’s well aware he will have to defend in the wake of the release.

The frontman of the California rap collective, Odd Future has a released the video for his next single, “She” off of his label debut, Goblin.  The video follows Tyler, the Creator as he tries to encroach on the relationship that vocalist, Frank Ocean has with a girl new to the neighborhood. After some unsuccessful stalking, Tyler is arrested and harassed by an angry, suspecting father but that doesn’t stop him from winning over the new girl in the end. What? Thought all Wolf Hayley made was “horrorcore?”

The Mayback Music Group constituent just dropped the FreeStalley record, “Chevys and Spaceships.” The Ohio emcee was recently added to Rick Ross’ MMG’s roster in April, also home to artists Wale, Pill and Meek Mill. MMG’s Self Made compilation also debuted today. Read more for a stream and download of “Chevys and Spaceships.”

What do you think of “Chevys and Spaceships,” does Stalley have a winner?

What do you think of Kreayshawn?

Over the weekend, Twitter was buzzing about the Wes Craven horror film, People Under the Stairs—it’s new to Netflix!—so we thought we’d put you on to the rap group of the same name, otherwise known as P.U.T.S.

With 10 years and seven albums worth of experience, People Under The Stairs, are widely considered tenured veterans in the underground hip-hop scene. The two California emcees, Thes One and Double K, first met in a music store in Los Angeles after hearing industry buzz about each other through the grapevine. They exchanged mixtapes and have been together ever since.

Of their many tributes to their L.A. stomping grounds, “L.A. Song” remains a crowd favorite and has spurred a few remixes:

People Under the Stairs – LA Song (Sensitive Mix) by Tympanogram

With a passion for producing old-school beats that have a hard-hitting twist, the duo has stayed true to their hardcore funky form throughout the years. Their debut album, The Next Step, released in 1999, showcases the group’s ability to produce jazz infused boom bap raps reminiscent of the Native Tongues Posse in their hey day.

Their latest album, Carried Away, was released in 2009 and features nods to old school production, abundant with funk and disco samples in tracks like, “Hit The Top.” This mix is hardly original but instead furthers the musical conversation started by De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest. With their innovative combination style, the pair does a bang-up job of keeping their audience guessing at what novel rapping invention is going to come out of them next.

For more on P.U.T.S. check out their MySpace or this awesome site created by a super fan.

—Nicole Rogers

Photo: passionweiss.com

Pittsburgh native and Wiz Khalifa affiliate, Mac Miller, has released yet another free project, On & On & Beyond. It’s a six track EP that features staff favorite, “In The Air,” a track originally on Miller’s Best Day Ever.  Read more for a stream and download.

Mac Miller – On and On and Beyond Preview – SBG by SBG Movement 2

Mac Miller – On & On & Beyond | Download Here

This weekend, Drake hosted the Juno Awards, a prestigious event honoring the best in music his countrymen have to offer (Read: the Canadian GRAMMYs). The awards were held in Toronto and to open the ceremony Drake led with a skit about his new music business initiative, “Old Money.” Despite having six nominations, Drake did not walk away with any wins this weekend.

“We’re called Young Money because we appeal to a younger demographic and everyone in the label…has a lot of money,” says Drake.

“For this new one coming out this year which is called ‘Take Care’ I think I’ve devised a plan. I really think I’ve stumbled upon an untapped gold mine and instead of Young Money, today, it’s all about ‘Old Money.’”

It’s been some time since Aubrey Graham’s acting days in Canadian teen drama, “Degrassi,” but as far as his Juno skit goes, he’s got comedy down. Read more to see the skit and select winners for the Juno Awards.

Juno Awards Winners:

Juno Fan Choice Award Winner: Justin Bieber

Artist of the Year: Neil Young

Group of the Year: Arcade Fire

New Artist of the Year: Meaghan Smith

New Group of the Year: Said the Whale

Album of the Year & Alternative Album of the Year: Suburbs, Arcade Fire

International Album of the Year: Teenage Dream, Katy Perry

Pop Album of the Year: My World 2.0, Justin Bieber

Single of the Year: “Wavin’ Flag,”  Young Artists for Haiti

R&B/Soul Recoding of the Year: “Stars,” Quanteisha

Rap Recording of the Year: TSOL, Shad

Reggae Recording of the Year: “Likkle But Mi Tallawah,” Elaine Lil’Bit Sheppard

What do you think, did Drake nail the skit?

With no warning, young emcee Wiz Khalifa decided to release mixtape, Cabin Fever by ways of twitter. Khalifa, famed for his singles “Say Yeah” and “Black and Yellow” is a recent Atlantic Records signee and his forthcoming album, Rolling Papers, is scheduled for a March release. Read more for the tracklist and download.

Wiz Khalifa – Cabin Fever | Download Here

Nas remixes “Help Somebody,” off of Maxwell’s fourth studio album, BLACKsummers’night.

The ever-conscious Nas remixes “Help Somebody,” off of soulful R&B crooner Maxwell’s fourth studio album, BLACKsummers’night. The track mixes guitar riffs, powerful lyrics and Maxwell’s signature falsetto. Nas challenges listeners to address issues of immigration, global poverty and unemployment over a busy horn section, rapping; “I pray to god that new plan unfolds/ I gotta say it and it goes /I started in the projects now look what I accomplished/ to say nobody helped me, is nonsense.” With the prevailing lyrics and captivating band sound, its no surprise that Maxwell’s BLACKsummers’night has garnered six Grammy noms.

–Letese Clark

Rapper T.I. was released early from federal prison in Arkansas today. T.I.’s defense attorney, Steve Sadow told XXL that T.I. will report to a half way house in Atlanta for two or three months.

T.I. was arrested in 2007 after attempting to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers from undercover federal agents. He originally faced a maximum of 10 years in prison as well as several $250,000 for charges in his three-count indictment. After spending time in house arrest and participating in several community and service activities, T.I. was able to reach a plea deal and a release date of March 10, 2010.

Source: Reuters

This fall NBC introduced a hilarious new television series “Community.” On Monday, Dec. 28, NBC will air a special two hour block marathon at 8/7c. Check it out! #veryfunny

Badu’s New Amerykah, Part II: Return Of The Ankh will drop Feb. 23. Tracklist and Lil Wayne collab track after the jump!

1. 20 Feet Tall
2. Window Seat
3. Agitation
4. Get Money
5. Don’t Be Long
6. Love
7. Umm Hmm
8. Fall In Love
9. Incense
10. Out My Mind Just In Time (Part 1) (Undercover Over-Lover)
11. Out My Mind Just In Time (Part 2)
12. Jump In The Air

“Jump in the Air and Stay There” Ft. Lil Wayne live rip via 2dope. The final version of the track is rumored to feature 10 rappers.

Check out 25’s unsigned and undiscovered series, “The Breaks” featuring Poe Picasso.

Words by Tray Laws |Photo Courtesy: Poe Picasso

In 2006, Poe Picasso picked up his pen and began writing rhymes that he eventually recorded a year later. Once his project was finished, the Brooklyn rapper only shared his music with friends. He had no intentions of releasing it for the world to hear. But his friends felt the heart Picasso sculpted into his music, so they pushed him to release it publicly. Those tracks became Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project, released in January 2009. With Exhibit A, Picasso wants to prove that New York still has more to say. His flow is equipped with appeal, consistency, and intelligence. On the track “She Cries,” Picasso raps maturely about the many issues of Mother Earth, and how the people are contributing to her pain. On “Waste of Lead,” Picasso aggressively gives his view on the state of hip-hop and that it needs to be saved. This mixtape, a compilation of respect demanding, lyrical, feel good hip-hop, is a good start for Picasso as he makes his contribution to the ‘Hip Hop Museum.’

Although it took him two years to put out his first “Exhibit,” Picasso weighed his artistic scale, and realized he was heavy enough to put out Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny in November 2009. Picasso is aware of the load he carries in his aim to be the best out of New York. The city is home to some of the most well known rappers: Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, and Nas. Yet, while proving he is worthy of being in the same realm as his predecessors, Picasso has figured out how to do it his way. The rhymes Picasso conceptualizes, paint the picture of his city in a different hue.

25: The name Poe Picasso definitely grabs attention, how did you develop the stage name?

Poe Picasso: It was simple. The Poe part I came up with, and the Picasso part my friend came up with. Me and my friends always use famous names or names of influential people; he suggested adding Picasso on the end of it and it just made sense. The Poe Part is from Edgar Allan Poe and the Picasso part came from Pablo Picasso.

25: A lot of your fellow New York Rappers talk about The Big Apple in their rhymes, how did the city that never sleeps influence your sound and your Mixtape Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project?

Picasso: New York was the main influence. New York was basically known for its lyrics that had some kind of toughness behind it. So, Exhibit A would just be a re acquaintance with New York; letting the people know that there are people in New York who are still lyrically in this who can make it. Plus, growing up in New York you have to, well not everyone, carry a certain prestige. I cant say I’m from New York and people hear my music and think ‘nah you don’t fit in that realm.’ I think that’s what motivated me more to push it to the next level.

25: In your song “Bask in My Glory” you say “the Internet makes a loser feel important,” and “Since when was it cool to be a lame, cornball, or a nerd, but I guess that’s what works.” What did you mean by those lines?

Picasso: Basically, when you’re online its different from being in person. When you’re online you can do and say whatever because you’re behind a monitor and no one can see you. So they can post stuff with no real credentials or post stuff in whatever look that works for the moment. Being yourself just doesn’t work anymore-now you have to have a story. Before, what made you stand out was your specific flow. Now it’s about what you’re wearing and what kind of watch you have. The music has become the secondary element.

25: On your Myspace page bio you describe yourself as a Messianic (mes•si•an•ic) Adj. 1. Relating to the belief that someone or something will bring about a complete transformation of the existing social order. How will you achieve this message through your music?

Picasso: I do so by keeping it as honest as possible. You can tell when a person is just rapping to rap by how many ‘cool lines’ they try to write. I write in honesty so I don’t feel like I’m just writing. So, If I’m keeping it as honest as possible and people feel that then the change has began and the message spreads. The way I use my words when I write, it’s poetry and that’s where the art form takes shape. I always have a message I’m trying to convey because as artists we have people that listen to our music and internalize the message we’re trying to convey. We’re the voice of our generation so it’s important for our listeners to get the message.

25: What’s your plans in the near future and where do you see the Poe Picasso brand in 5 years?

Picasso: My plans for the future are to be the number one artist. The best. If I’m not the best then I’m doing something wrong. As far as the Poe Picasso brand I see it being on the forefront carrying on the art form. I want my name to be the staple of New York, The flagship artist like when you think New York you think Poe Picasso. I know that sounds a little far fetched but that’s what I’m working for.

25: Anything else you would like to add?

Picasso: My next project, Exhibit B is one of the best bodies of work about to break. I’m very competitive and I’m not OK with being just OK and a lot of artists are OK with that. I think the healthy competition is lacking, not a beef type of thing, but by being the best it would push other artists to be the best.

You can find Poe Picasso’s Exhibit A: The Real Hip Hop Project and Exhibit B: Manifest Destiny at myspace.com/poepicasso

Fuze the MC remixes Drake’s “Scriptures.” Download/stream after the jump!

Scriptures – Drake Ft. Fuze | Download here

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?

We’re a little late with this one (darn spam!) but check out a track from  S-Preme’s The Sicktape: Volume 2.  Stream and download after the jump!

“V.I.P.”  Ft. Roisan Murphy | Download Here

New Quest track/cover of A Tribe Called Quest classic, “Lyrics to Go” (Prod. by M. Will The Shogun), stream and download after the jump!

Download Here

“Lyrics to Go” is a track off of Quest and M. Will The Shogun’s upcoming project, The Reason, expected to drop in the first quarter of 2010.

Rappers are hit hard by the economic times, “a lot less video hoes.”

25 Magazine recaps VH1′s “Behind the Music: Lil Wayne”

VH1 series “Behind the Music,” has finally returned with a new emphasis on rap artists. The series kicked off with the “reigning king” of hip-hop, Dwayne Carter, better known as Lil Wayne. The narcotic driven artist gives the VH1 staff insight on his childhood in New Orleans, family, career, and reckless behavior. Wayne found music to be his inspiration and began with Cash Money at the age of 9, then heightened his fame with the renowned Hot Boys, and eventually went solo with his debut album The Block is Hot in 1999. Once he stopped writing all his lyrics down, Wayne took his music more seriously. “When I stopped writing, I’ve noticed that everything was real now, I can’t speak about nothing than what was real because I can’t write nothing,” Carter says.

From then on, he pulled everything out of his head and was on the path to becoming a true icon. Few have known Mr. Carter to ever be over the influence. He attributes his  initiation to drugs at the age of 11 for his addiction. Wayne’s life is interesting, though not nearly as hardcore as he portrays it to be in his music. However, he did face some trials, from accidently shooting himself roughly a centimeter away from his heart and losing his childhood to the devastating Hurricane Katrina tearing apart his hometown.

“In 27 short years, Lil Wayne has already lived a lifetime of tragedy and triumph, and while his future remains uncertain, one thing is clear: He has no intentions of slowing down.”

50 Cent is in transition. He’s perched on the cement roof of Camp Curtis in Manhattan with sidekick and G-Unit kinsman Tony Yayo at his back while a reality television show cartel anxiously anticipate his next move. The entrepreneur dons a navy pinstripe three-piece, royal blue tie and air of austere discontent. It is the pilot episode of his MTV reality television show “The Money and the Power” and Mr. Jackson is deliberating eliminations in an effort to teach his novice cast an important lesson in business.  He approaches the feisty contestant Precious, jaw clenched, perhaps too close for comfort, and stares intently into her eyes. To everyone’s surprise, Fifty decides to send home her faulty team leader, saving Precious from an early elimination—Instinct. Since the 2003 release of his freshman LP, Get Rich or Die Tryin’, 50 has been fervently dishing out business advice to anyone who’d listen, and after topping Forbes’ 2008 “Hip Hop Rich List” (he tied with Akon at No. 4 in 2009), the world is all ears.

Fifty’s first lesson in business—invest smart and early. In 2004, he purchased equity in Glacéau and launched his own brand of VitaminWater, Formula 50. In 2007, Coca Cola acquired Glacéau in a $4.1 billion deal, leaving Curtis Jackson with an estimated profit of up to $400 million and continued partnership as the “Air Jordan of VitaminWater.”

His second lesson—no concessions. Despite extensive promotions, 50 Cent rescheduled the release of his third album Curtis in order to maximize on both U.S. and international sales in 2007 and reaped 5 million copies sold worldwide in the face of the dwindling music industry.  The shaky economy set up 2008 winter releases for financial failure and prompted Fifty to push his fourth solo project Before I Self Destruct to February 2009 and later September 29, 2009, promoting the LP with extensive radio play, single releases and download specials.

As for Fifty’s third lesson, you’ll have to buy the book—The 50^th Law; A Robert Greene collaborative project and 48 Laws of Power spin-off in stores today and lofty addition to Fif’s bevy of endorsements and products. In the past two years, Jackson earned over $170 million (Jay-Z  earned 30% less at $117 million) and has proved himself a savvy businessman despite what corporate considers a misleading thug-posturing music persona. He’s garnered money and power with his triumph of the entertainment industry and now that he’s risen to the top—is after our respect.

25 Magazine: Rumors are spreading like crazy on the value of the 50 brand but they’re all conflicting, how much are you really worth?

50: Like my net worth? I don’t even know. After taxes and everything we’ll figure it out. I mean as far as the companies I haven’t sold already you know what I mean? When you build, the object is to build the companies up to the point that you can actually sell em. [I] don’t want to underestimate or overestimate you know. If I overestimate then people gon say I was frontin’ and if I underestimate they say I’m just giving you a bullshit answer.

25: Hmmm, well it is without a doubt you’re doing well. Do you have plans to expand your brand further?

50: Oh absolutely. I mean I think that’s the big portion of what we do that artists miss. We’re in the music business. I think they just get stuck with music.  And they never know the business when they trying [to] make the type of interest to have the type of popularity and celebrity that’s involved. The marketing that was done and being spent on an actual artist…I just think that applies to my personal interests. I’ll make a commitment to VitaminWater as opposed to an alcoholic beverage because it’s more, a more visible representation of my lifestyle. I’m really health conscious.

25: Word on the street or the internet rather, is that you made the right choice investing in Glaceau. Do you ever feel the pressure succeed this hit or miss industry?

50: Well yea. On every level I feel pressure to succeed you know but not just from the label, from myself.  You know when you got the entire art form down 30% of course I like to be the turning point for a positive. You know what I mean, where you actually start selling records again based on a new album. But if not there ain’t much to look forward to so I mean while you got people out there that’d like to see me do bad, they can [revel in] the bad, they can also forget about their chances of making a successful career for themselves and this art form.

25: Rap sales have been down yet the interest still seems to be growing. Who do you truly feel dictates the trends in Hip Hop, the artists or the corporations?

50: I think the artists do but corporations, I mean ultimately the corporations do but artists they gotta turn their music in you know what I’m saying? The problem with Hip Hop right now is that no real artist control; there’s no creative control. They used to have, the A&R department used to be a lot stronger where they would help create a creative direction with the artist and now it’s like an artist will come in and if they got one good record they might get signed for that record…And do the single, I mean if the single works, ringtone will pay for your album. Now you give an artist in there a really good record…and it was a really good record you say okay well we got a single, all you gotta do is go in the studio mix and master the single, put the single out. If the single connects, the ringtone can earn enough to support them giving you a budget to create your album.

25: No more albums?! Seems as though artists are getting the short end of the deal. What would you consider your biggest grievance with the music industry?

50: You know what it is. You got a lot of people that don’t actually from an artist perspective…because you see an artist, you create all type of envy and negative energy for other artists because I come from an artist standpoint but these artists don’t actually wanna learn the business.

What I dislike the most about the music business is rappers see everyone else who actually raps as their peer. Even if you work yourself into a different space in business and financially they still see you as their peer so they begin to envy your space instead of just build on their own energy because Hip Hop is so competitive that the artists utilize whoever is in a good scene as a target or their competition. You understand what I’m saying? You know and I deal with that constantly and I feel like this like about this particular art form and I don’t think R&B artists don’t well…they don’t respond the same way like they don’t say. Like I don’t see um Pink saying “fuck Ne-Yo” you know what I’m saying because his record is good you know and that’s what happens in  Hip Hop space, so it’s different like that’s the only portion about the hip hop genre of music that you know ours is a little different.

25: Speaking of understanding the business, do you own your publishing? How important do you feel it is for an artist to own their publishing rights and side business ventures?

50: Yes I do. Well it depends on where that artist is at financially or what kind of deal they actually do it in. If you wanna do it in an Administrative deal it’s somewhat you know like a lot they held on to all the publishing and didn’t have anybody involved with collecting all their publishing then they probably wouldn’t pay the money they were supposed to pay anyway.

25: Well you have been doing pretty well for yourself, did you ever anticipate this much success?

50: I always had big ambitions. Big dreams you know what I’m saying. Well I always envision things. What I mean by that is before I used to think of something and just sit there and just be thinking of it. That’s dreaming. When you come up with something and you start figuring out how to execute it. That’s envisioning you know you’re actually attempting to execute it you know I take my idea and I roll with them.

25:  You came from humble beginnings, as a Black entrepreneur do you feel a responsibility to give back to the community?

50: Well I think everybody should, that’s in a position where they could actually do it. You know I come from the bottom so to be able to provide something that wasn’t provided to me to help someone else life experience or a small piece of it. I ain’t doing so much where I’m altering their life totally you know what I mean. To me the biggest donation is making a small dent in what needs to be done. You know so I guess… as far as all of the charitable things I’ve been involved in I didn’t want to create a non for profit organization I feel like that would be me running a whole ‘nother business. Because that is a business you know what I’m saying like there’s a lot involved in having a non for profit so what I did is I set up the G-Unity Foundation where I could actually take proceeds and my donation and donate to other existing charities.

25: Do you think other artists are contributing enough?

50: I think the ones that can are.  You know I think a lot of them…I think the perception of Hip Hop artists is a lot greater than they actually are and it’s because of what they see on television like rappers be superheroes within themselves you know they rap about the coolest stuff. It’s the lifestyle that they aspire to have. You know sometimes you gotta fake it until you make it. You know and that’s what they doing so there will be a lot more money around than there actually is and because they aspire to live life on the highest level they splurge early. So you see them with the nice cars when you see them in passing and big jewelry and everything else on and you think wow this guy is rich when he really doesn’t have a lot. He did what would be visible to make people get that impression but they don’t actually have it.

25: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years, music or business?

50: In ten for sure more in business. I’d be 44 years old. You know, not rapping. By 44, I will behind-the-scenes more.

25: Do you think you’ll ever settle down?

50: Well I can’t predict the future but I’d say right now to answer that question I’d say I see myself in business at 42. I know people who have families and they conduct, at a different pace but they still have businesses so and right now I’m off and running. I’m going to do what I got to do to sell a record and do different things but… after then everything starts to mellow down a little bit.

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

Photo by Kendra Desrosiers

Chester French and Q-tip perform at Summer Stage.

Central Park was live this afternoon at the Summerstage concert with headliner Q-Tip. It was hot and there was no shade in sight but that didn’t stump the crowd’s energy. Chester French, Sweden-based group Little Dragon, and DJ Benji B got the crowd ready for “The Abstract.” Familiar also sited today included Cassie, Damon Dash, and Amanda Diva.

Duo, Chester French moved the crowd with hits from their mixtape “Jacques Jams, Vol 1: Endurance” and debut album Love The Future. DA Wallach had the crowd laughing at his dorky swag as he instructed the crowd to commence in a soul snap. “Hands up in the fucking air! We need you to snap with us in a second!”

They performed songs like “Jimmy Choos,” “C’mon” and crowd favorite “She Loves Everybody.” The pit was packed with toddlers and guests of a guest but we managed to get some video of their set, check it out:

Chester French @ SummerStage NYC from 25 Magazine on Vimeo.

The Queens Hip Hop legend, Q-tip gave a phenomenal performance with a live band to the at capacity venue. He performed a mix of A Tribe Called Quest classics including “Bonita Applebum,” “Scenario,” and “Sucka N*ggas” as well as “Award Tour,” in which all the die hard “real Hip Hop heads” sang word for word. Tip also performed songs from his latest album The Renaissance, such as “We Fight/We Love” and “Gettin Up.”

While Tip performed “Vivrant Thing,” Diddy danced into the press pit, hopped on stage and did his famous two-step. No one expected it (but 25 caught it on tape and video!). After ending his set, Q-tip came back on stage for “Life is Better,” and jumped in the crowd.

No one wanted Q-tip to ever leave the stage and he clearly gave all his energy to the crowd by sweating out his white tee and presumably his knee high black socks. His performance was unforgettable indeed.

Here’s some Twitter highlights:

@25mag: @iamdiddy jumped on stage w/@qtiptheabstract, guess who’s the only to get video and photo? @25mag, get familiar, best show of the summer!

@25mag: Industry rule number 4080, record company people are shadyyyy

@25mag: He’s in the crowd, where is he? we can’t see you tip, you a lil short my man

@25mag: @qtiptheabstract is sweatin hard, great show!

Check out our exclusive video coverage and photos of Q-tip’s performance, including Diddy’s dance number:

Check out: Q-Tip @ SummerStage Photo Gallery

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.

The Cool Kids x Don Cannon- Gone Fishing (C.A.K.E Recordings/Cannon Music)

Let’s be real, The Cool Kids just want to have fun. They are great at rapping about absolutely nothing important and will only get better at it. The duo known for their flashy gear and their bass heavy production style, found each other on Myspace in 2005. Three years and four mixtapes later, The Cool Kids are back with their most impressive project yet. They have enhanced their production, but have left their lyrics behind in the release of their mixtape Gone Fishing with Don Cannon, a prelude to their highly-anticipated upcoming album, When Fish Ride Bicycles. They made a huge splash in 2008, opening for M.I.A. on her World Tour, joining the Rock The Bells concert roster, and headlining the “NBA 2K Bounce Tour” with rap veteran Q-Tip. The two are not the most profound lyricists, but with recent approval from Hip Hop notables such as Q-Tip himself, many wonder what gives The Cool Kids, their cool?

The key to The Cool Kid’s success is their ability to make music that mixes boom bap and early rap influences as a soundtrack to simply having a good time. With fun storytelling, punch lines, and amusing analogies, they show their playful tone on many tracks as in “Popcorn,” where Chuck says “Doorbells, door knocks/ Open up it’s the cops/Sike naw it’s The Cool Kids/Came to jump on your couch.” Their arrival complements the new wave of rappers with a refreshing approach to Hip Hop, where the alpha-thug is no longer the genre’s idol.

Throughout the mixtape, their corny yet cunning style of word play continues to work in their favor. On the bass-loaded “Premium Blends,” Mikey Rocks feels he can reel in women like a master fisherman saying, “Throw that girl a line and I bet that I can catch her.” But Chuck makes it clear that there are many fish in the sea and he is not in for the long haul. On “Weekend Girls” (Don Cannon borrowed from Camron’s “Weekend Girl”) Chuck says, “You looking wedding day nice/ Now I don’t want you to think that I’m the wedding day type/ I just had to make it clear/ Before we make it outta here.” Their cockiness when is comes to the opposite sex is both cheesy and entertaining.

The Cool Kids go beyond their often heavy bass production on the laid-back “Summer Vacations,” where the keyboards rule the track. But some things never change for the two, as they still show signs of having gold chain obsessions on “Gold Links,” a follow-up to The Bake Sale’s “Gold and Pager.”

One won’t find memorable lines on Gone Fishing, but it is amicable in its entirety, keeping one zoned in track by track. Also, Don Cannon doesn’t overload the tracks with drops, making it an easier listen than most mixtapes. With Gone Fishing, the duo makes it clear they want to make good music for relaxing and nothing more. This mixtape is a solid preview of The Cool Kids’ upcoming album and shows that the two charismatic charmers are more than ready to put out their first LP.

(Photo Source: coolxkids.com)

Link to Free Mixtape Download

-Natelegé Whaley

25 Mag – Jabari Video Exclusive from 25 Magazine on Vimeo.

25 Magazine catches up with Jabari @ the premiere of his track “Dopeman” Ft. Nicki Minaj & Pusha T off the upcoming compilation album Famous on the Internet. Read more for download and cover art.

Famous on the Internet will drop in late 2009 and  feature Pusha-T, Wale, Nicki Minaj, Raheem Devaughn, Max B, Young Chris, Curren$y, and Charles Hamilton among others.

“Dopeman” Ft. Nicki Minaj & Pusha T (prod. Cookin Soul) – Jabari | Download here

Props to the NMC supporting a student from HU [the real HU that is]

New track from Kid Cudi “I Poke Her Face” featuring Kanye West and Common. Read more for download.

“I Poke Her Face” Ft. Kanye West & Common – Kid Cudi |Download Here

Shouts to 2dopeboyz