Kid Ink “Up & Away” Cover Art, Release Date
April 25, 2012
Kid Ink preps his debut album, which features production from Cardiak and Jahlil Beats.
Kid Ink has revealed the cover art and release date for his upcoming debut album Up & Away.
The album will independently release on June 12th via Kid Ink’s imprint Tha Alumni Music Group. Production on the project comes courteous of Cardiak, Jahlil Beats and Ned Cameron, in addition to several others.
The lead single off the project, “Time of Your Life,” 
is currently climbing the charts, sitting at No. 37 on the Rhythmic Radio Charts.
Up & Away will release via iTunes and be available at retailers including Hot Topic and FYE.
¡Mayday! – Death March (rmx) f. Pharoahe Monch & Stat Quo
April 12, 2012
Q-Tip signs to G.O.O.D. Music
April 11, 2012
And the rich get richer, so to speak, as Def Jam has just announced that the legendary Q-Tip has officially signed to Kanye’s G.O.O.D. Music outlet. West being a huge fan of the founding A Tribe Called Quest member, the two heavyweights have worked together in the past on a number of singles, as we should expect the conjoined brainpower to produce some highly intriguing offerings. Word is that Q-Tip’s G.O.O.D. Music debut album is already slated for a release in early 2013. So, what do you guys think? Should we expect a G.O.O.D. Friday offering this week featuring Tip?
Ice Cube shares some new information regarding the long talked about N.W.A. biopic and talks about the group’s involvement and legacy.
Within the last week, Ice Cube has revealed that he is working on the next Friday sequel and he has touched on Dr. Dre’s Detox delay. Now, more Ice Cube news has been revealed as more details about the long talked about N.W.A. biopic are being unveiled. In a recent interview with ComingSoon.com, Cube spoke on the film, his former group members’ involvement and the legacy of “the world’s most dangerous group.”
While speculation of the group’s full involvement has been a topic of discussion, Cube revealed that N.W.A. group members have been a part of the process.
“I’m producing it and I’m doing most of the heavy lifting but those guys have definitely participated in the interview process and just trying to get the script together,” Cube explained. “The more and more this thing starts to build up, the more and more you’ll see the guys around and involved in it.”
Touching more on the group’s legacy, he said that he believes N.W.A. allowed more people to express themselves freely, unafraid to be themselves on the microphone.
“I knew we made a major impact on the trajectory of music in a lot of ways, and I would never know that people would still refer to that group and that time as a turning point in artistic expression in a lot of ways. I think with N.W.A., it made everybody who was coming out with something just like, ‘Yo, I’m just going to be myself. I’m not going to put a fake nothin’, not gonna pretend to be a nice guy and do great music and I feel this way,’ so people just decided to be themselves and do what they like.”
No official word has been given regarding a timeline for the biopic. Fans of Cube can soon catch him in the upcoming 21 Jump Street. He’s also currently working on the aforementioned Friday sequel and a new season of Are We There Yet?, his television program.
Ski Beatz also says that Jay-Z and The Notorious B.I.G. were competitive in the studio.
Marking the 15th anniversary of the passing of The Notorious B.I.G., Ski Beatz recently reflected on his time with the slain rapper and revealed that they were set to hit the studio upon his return from Los Angeles, California. During an interview with CopThat.TV, the producer said that Big heard the beat for Camp Lo’s “Luchini (This is It)” and encouraged Ski to pass him beats of that quality.
“Right before Biggie went to L.A., he was in front of D&D Studios in a Range Rover with his partner. He was like, ‘Ski, come here come here!’ He said, ‘You did that “Luchini” record for Camp Lo?’ I said yeah. He was like, ‘Ugh. Why you ain’t give me no beats like that? When I come back, make me some beats.’”
He recalled working with Jay-Z at D&D Studios and how Big tended to drop by. While they were all in the studio, Jay and Big would play beats for one another as competition.
“Big was always in the studio at D&D, because him and jay… Jay would say ‘Go play him “Streets is Watching” beat.’ First Big would come to the studio and say, ‘Jay, check this out!’ He’d look at Jay’s face and start laughing. And tjen I’ll make something and Jay would say, ‘Go play that for Big.’ I’d play him ‘Streets is Watching.’ They had a friendly competition. It was fun hanging out with both of them.”
Kendrick Lamar and Black Hippy have closed a deal with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.
According to FADER, Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith says that the pair have “just closed” a joint venture deal with the labels. K. Dot’s official label debut Good Kid in a Mad City will release jointly between Top Dawg, Aftermath and Interscope. All future releases by ScHoolBoy Q, Ab-Soul and Jay Rock will release through Top Dawg and Interscope.
Tyler, the Creator felt the wrath of Gucci Mane’s security team when he bum rushed the stage during a performance.
Tyler, the Creator may be down with Waka Flocka Flames’s Brick Squad movement, but that apparently doesn’t matter too much to Gucci Mane’s security team. This past February 29, the Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All producer/rapper was forcibly removed from the stage during a Gucci Mane performance in Los Angeles.
According to XXL, Wolf Haley attempted to crash the stage during Gucci’s set at the G-Shock release party for The Hundreds and Casio’s collaborative watch. The Atlanta rapper’s security reacted quickly, grabbing Tyler by the throat and shoving him off stage. Later in the performance, the rapper returned to the stage and dove off the stage into the crowd.
Despite the incident, the Golf Wang hooligan did manage to snag a flick with Gucci, as seen above. Footage of Tyler’s antics can be seen below, courtesy of PeepSent.
Madlib To Release “Madlib Medicine Show #13: Black Tape” In March
February 22, 2012
Madlib announces that he’s got one more “Madlib Medicine Show” left, due out this March.
For the past two years, the legendary Madlib has been bring fans a steady stream of music with his twelve-part album series Madlib Medicine Show. But apparently, the Loopdigga has more in store for fans as he plans to drop the thirteenth installment of the series this March 1.
According to a recent press release from Stones Throw, the latest addition to the series – dubbed Black Tape – will drop this March 1 on the Oxnard, CA native’s own Madlib Invazion imprint. But the thirteenth project in the series – which is comprised of 35 mash-up remixes and an explicit eight-page booklet – didn’t come into fruition without some controversy.
“Months ago when we dropped a hint that one more Madlib Medicine Show was to come, little did we know that the Madlib Invazion label would find itself dealing with the problem of one printing press after the next refusing to run the artwork,” explained Stones Throw in the press release. “Some who have seen this artwork describe it as ‘mutant porn.’ Others simply shake their heads, set it down, wash their hands. Now that an offshore press specializing in ‘fringe adult publications’ has taken the job, the ‘secret Medicine Show‘ will finally be released on March 1.”
ScHoolboy Q Talks Possible Collab With A$AP Rocky, Parenthood
February 22, 2012
A few weeks ago, ScHoolboy Q hinted about the possibility of recording an entire project with Harlem upstart A$Ap Rocky. Now, in a recent interview with Maurice Garland, the TDE rapper talked about the possibility of recording a long-form collaboration with the leader of the A$AP Mob.
Although Q didn’t provide any further details about the project, he explained that both artists – who shared the booth on both of their respective mixtapes Habits and Contradictions and Live.Love.A$AP – are still very much interested in pursuing the collab. He did explain that the project most likely won’t get off the ground until the both of them finish their touring duties.
“I don’t have an answer [for when it’s gonna drop],” he said. “We’re trying, we’re trying. He’s on the road, I’m on the road. We’re gonna try and get it together. You gotta have it sound right – two of the hottest niggas coming up. I’m not a cocky nigga, but I call myself [one of] the hottest niggas [coming up in the game]. But yeah, Rocky, we gotta do it.”
Q also spoke about balancing his role as a rapper and a father. He explains that while he doesn’t get to see his young daughter while touring, he always brings her to recoridng sessions, including one with the legendary Dr. Dre.
“It’s cool [being a father], my little baby Joy-Joy. I just talked to right before I went on stage,” he said. “She’s with me in the studio – my baby’s a studio baby…everybody know. Everybody knows my daughter – [Dr.] Dre, everybody.”
Common, Nas & Q-Tip Rumored To Be Forming As Super Group The Standard
February 22, 2012
The trio of emcees are reportedly joining forces for a project.
Back in 2007, Q-Tip and Common announced that they were forming the super group The Standard, though a full-length project is yet to come to light.
According to NYDN, Nas is reportedly set to join the group, though official plans are yet to be made for the group’s album. When asked if he plans to record with Q-Tip and Common, Nas responded, “Definitely,” fueling speculation that the duo could become a trio.
Q-Tip is also at work on his third official solo album, the follow up to 2008’s The Renaissance, while Nas is recording his next LP Life is Good.
PARKERHIPHOP 