Featuring. The word is so misused in music these days. You can’t escape it; like serious overkill. Everybody is featuring someone or doing a ‘feature.’ Drake featuring Nicki Minaj. Nicki Minaj featuring Drake. Rick Ross featuring Meek Mill. Everybody featuring Lil Wayne. Feature, blah, blah, blah.
Back in the day Smokey Robinson never featured the Miracles. It wasn’t Hall featuring Oates. Ever heard of Simon featuring Garfunkel?
Look my point is, just do an entire album or maybe the marketing department needs to freshen up the namesake. On the classic album Only Built For Cuban Linx it was billed Raekwon guest starring Tony Starks as GhostFace Killah. That sounds like some highly anticipated box office thriller sh*t. And boy was it.
That said, the hottest record leaked this week was from the late Amy Winehouse featuring Nas. The track titled ‘Like Smoke’ is one of the hottest records on her upcoming album Lioness: Hidden Treasures. The song, recorded in 2008, is fresher than broccoli from the farmers market.
Salaam Remi and Nas go together like peanut butter and jelly. Mix in Amy Winehouse and it’s like adding that glass of milk to polish off the sandwich. Her voice is so soulful and classic. Peep Nas’s flow on this as he explains the evil that most men do.
Or listen here.
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Drake featuring Lil Wayne. Take your pick of songs but this week’s new heat is called “The Motto.” The Blues Brothers or Dreezy and Weezy spit double dutch style over this T Minus produced track. As Hot97’s HeavyHitter DJ Camilo would say, “Warning, Warning” when this come on in the club.
No singing on this track, not even in the hook and that’s where Drake really makes his money. YMCMB is leading the pack in this modern era of swag rap and they’re starting to lap any and all competition.
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Robin Thicke never disappoints with his albums or his live shows. He’s got young David Beckham looks (minus the blond hair) and a smooth silky voice that gets him attention from woman of all ages and ethnicities. His secret is just simply good music and consistency.
For his latest release “Pretty Lil Heart,” he teams up with Lil Wayne again. You have to wonder if these two will ever do a complete album together.
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From across the Pond comes UK’s own Cher Lloyd and her new song “Grow Up” featuring Busta Rhymes. From Slick Rick to Dizzy Rascal, through DJs like London’s infamous DJ Semtek, hip-hop music has always had a huge influence on the English culture. What’s dope about Cher and her music is you see the influence that Nicki Minaj is having on female artists worldwide.
As far as ladies MCs go, Missy Elliot invented the super zany personality in her flow. Nicki perfected it. Now Cher has a chance to take it to the ‘new mainstream’. Stay tuned…
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The homie Consequence dropped the track “High End Luxury Rap” last week featuring Nobody but himself. Doc da MindBenda is behind this track that has a memorable Sade loop. Cons has been hard at work this year making quality music, settling unnecessary beefs, touring and having a newborn.
Like if Iron Mike Tyson was fighting Manny Pacquio, this is lightwork for him. Consequence’s latest EP Club Certified is dropping in a minute. Until we read again….
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