Gooood Morninnng, World!! Live from Orlando, Florida, it’s hoops, superstars and rental cars. That can mean only one thing: It’s NBA All Star weekend 2012! It’s great to write to ya’ll this week without having sorrow to pass along. After back-to-back weeks of tragedies with the passing of Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston, maybe this weekend we can try and have fun again. There’s so many parties and events going down like the Carmelo Anthony and Fabolous Extravaganza and the annual Kenny Smith All Star Gala, which features the lovely Mary J. Blige this year. All this partying and traffic jamming means new music is in the air.
With basketball front and center this weekend, new sneakers will also be on display. So Converse was smart to unveil its Gorillaz themed Chucks this week. Now this isn’t the 50’s or 60’s, so you won’t see any players wearing these Gorillaz themed Chuck Taylor’s on the court. So off the court, the marketing geniuses at Converse decided to release a track to promote their latest sneaks. They enlisted the virtual talents of the animated band the Gorillaz along with Andre 3000 and James Murphy on a track titled “DoYaThing.” This electro-funk style track is both entertaining and energetic. Animated artist 2D is up to his usual lyrical hyperbole while James Murphy does some singing. It’s Andre 3000’s high powered rapid-fire rhyme that steals the show and makes this record must hear music.
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Rita Ora is Jay Z’s newest signee to his Roc Nation empire. Z100 listeners in the Tri-State area got a treat this week when she and her big boss dropped by the NYC studios to premiere her new song “Party & Bullshit.” Now fans of the late Notorious B.I.G. know that a record of the same name first introduced him to a mainstream audience. And I doubt very seriously if the legendary producer of that record, Easy Mo Bee, has production credits on this track. Nevertheless, this is a great first record for the UK’s latest budding star. Rita has the pipes and the beautiful looks to be larger then life, but can she hang with the heat in kitchen? That heat being that consistent fire that heavyweights like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga always deliver. Only time will tell…
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The undisputed leaders of the swag movement, Travis Porter, are back with a new track “All About A Sack.” Listen, whether I’m at the grocery store checking out, watching the New York Giants D-line or sampling fresh cut greens, I’m all about a sack, too. The Porter Bros team up with new comers Skooly and Jose Guapo on a record that will have the whole Bankhead bouncing. If Juicy J is the clown prince in hip-hop then Travis Porter are for the court jesters. Their unique styles, funny videos and zany live shows have truly made them the head of the class in this new school of hip-hop.
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You heard that new Lloyd Banks, “Jackpot?” It’s straight fiyyahh. It’s one of the records you will definitely hear coming out of the cars in Orlando this All Star weekend. Banks has long been ordained the deadliest spitter in the G-Unit squadron. On this joint he teams up with Jahlil Beats to give you that vintage Banks-Daddy-Warbucks flow that made him famous. The beat is that 2020 monumental shit that helped take Meek Mill to another level. It’s been a minute since we heard Banks get busy, so I’m sure an album is not too far way. Stay tuned…
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Kid Cudi is the undisputed king of his own lane. Just like the late, great Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Cudi’s style is so original that it can’t be copied. If you sit and listen to what Cudi is saying — like deciphering an ODB line — he’s spittin’ some sh*t that’s way over your head. Cudi’s never one to claim to be the best lyricist, but in all his music the message is real simple if you just listen. That’s what makes his latest cut, “Dose of Dopeness,” dope! Producer Dot Da Genius has been the composer for some of the midwest’s most slept on superstars including Chip Da Ripper. “Dose of Dopeness” is another delicious treat from Cudi and Dot you need to chew on.
Brandon ‘TNT’ West
Music Exec / Industry Insider/ The Andy Rooney of Hip Hop Culture
Holla at him @tnt718
