deeDJ | DJ News, Equipment and Reviews

Just to be safe, let me begin by pausing the first half of this headline. Now that we’ve gotten that outta the way: Is it just me, or is DJ Whoo Kid becoming the Forrest Gump of rap? Dude is back on his “Remember the Time” sh*t, sitting at bus stops…

[Each week, SOHH asks two entertainment personalities to name their Top 5 rappers of all-time. To make things tricky, we've created a "Hall of Fame" of emcees (see right) who are universally respected and therefore may not be mentioned. After Vlad Yudin...

Grammy-winning singer Rihanna is not allowing 2Pac critics bring down her high after publicly showing off a “THUG LIFE” tattoo in the late rapper’s honor across her knuckles this week and has relished the hype.

Former Ruff Ryders leader DMX is currently in recovery mode after suffering from food poisoning this week and has stepped forward to thank fans for their concern.

On the recently-featured lead single and title track off Think Like a Man‘s official soundtrack LP, Jennifer Hudson tried her best to step outside her everyday habits of thought and get into the head of the less-fair sex. While hers was a valiant effort, it was hardly the final word on the matter. Today, two male heavyweights from the worlds of R&B and hip-hop offer their perspective on single number two off the project. The findings… well, they should surprise roughly no one. Penned and performed by John Legend, Tonight (Best You Ever Had) finds Phatboiz crafting a sultry yet driving synth backdrop as the R&B heavyweight expresses two damn-near-universal desires of heterosexual males: to get it in with a beautiful woman, and to be the greatest lover she’s ever had. Ludacris throws a bit of a curveball on the guest tip, skewing tender and uncharacteristically subdued where you’d expect him to let his freaky side shine. So, was this song the best you ever heard—or at least good enough to drop 89 cents on? You’ll get the chance to do just that when Tonight arrives on iTunes next Tuesday, the 31st, via Epic Records. Watch for Think Like a Man (the film) to hit theaters in March.

At this point I think we can consider Chris Brown fully back in the eyes of the music buying public, and apparently in the eyes of the Grammy Committee. So with an eye on returning to platinum status on his upcoming Fortune album, Brown unleashes new single Turn Up The Music. The first headlining track we’ve heard from Breezy since last summer’s Strip, Turn Up the Music takes R&B’s current love for the dance floor and turns up the volume yet another notch, grabbing The Underdogs for a beat so high energy it makes Four Loko look like Valium. (For those who didn’t get the reference, that means it’s really, really high energy). Vocally Breezy doesn’t care about anything but getting the party started, releasing a torrent of straight ahead singing that even goes super old school by asking fine females to put their hands in the air if they’re “sexy and you know it.” Does Music sound like the kind of number one hit that will propel Brown’s currently unscheduled Fortune album to the top of the charts? We’ll find out what DJBooth Nation thinks in the comments and rating below.

Like the delicious but elusive Klondike Bar, fame is something that many people are willing to undertake difficult, dangerous and often f**king ridiculous tasks in order to attain. So, what would Jake Miller do for his piece of the limelight? The real question is, what wouldn’t he? On new promo single/video What I Wouldn’t Give, the Panhandle State hopeful fills fans in on the relentless fantasies of the fast life that fueled his rise to buzzmaker status, and looking forward to the international superstardom that (he hopes and prays) lies in his future. Over The Fliptones’ anthemic yet laid-back production, driven by catchy acoustic-guitar strums and a bouncy rhythm section, Miller mixes memories from his formative years as a zealous hip-hop fan (“Always sittin’ first row and when the curtains would close / I would sneak back stage just so I could feel the thrill.”) with snapshots of the success he currently enjoys. And, as befits an up-and-comer with world-class ambitions, he doesn’t neglect to include a paraphrased line from Biggie‘s Juicy: “They say I rhyme tight now I’m in the lime light…” This joint isn’t attached to any forthcoming project, but rest assured that the Booth will be following Miller’s journey to the top every step of the way.

If you’re like me, then you’re probably always searching the internets occasionally uber-ridiculous web videos for hidden gems that you immediately email to all your friends. One of 2011’s biggest breakthrough hits on the internet was Cris Cab, the teenage songwriter who quickly parlayed YouTube videos of his singing and songwriting skills into collaborations with some of music’s biggest stars. Case in point, Cab’s new single Rihanna’s Gun, which finds the Miami up-and-comer linking up with Wyclef Jean and Mavado. Together, the trio cook up a head-nodding stew of Caribbean-influenced good-ness on Gun, which will be featured on his upcoming Echo Boom mixtape. Over the course of the song, Cris & Co. request a pardon from their respective female counterpart to accept them back after infidelity, only to be disappointed with her denial at the end; all over Clef and Sedeck Jean’s eclectic production. Think Cab has what it takes to move from internet sensation to bonafide singing star in his own right? If you answered Yes then you’ll definitely want to look out for Echo Boom, presented by Billionaire Boys Club and scheduled to see the light of day on Tuesday, January 31.

Much has been made of the way hip-hop radio has devolved from an authentic display of a thriving culture by DJs personally connected to the scenes they’re covering, into a homogeneous showcase of music pre-selected by corporate fat-cats (see AWKWORD‘s recently-featured Radio 2.0). Few venture to consider how the voices on the airwaves may struggle with their job demands of them, but on new single Second Chances, Honors English does just that and then some, delivering a trio of lyrical profiles in courage over Needlz’ emotionally-fraught boardwork. After describing how a rising DJ defied her corporate overlords by playing the tunes she loved, the Northeastern buzzmaker chronicles his Dry Rain label boss’ battle against throat cancer, and ends by recounting how his mother went back to school to get the education she missed out on due to her unplanned pregnancy. Complete with an empathetic hook by Karina Pasian, this uplifting selection is just one of many fresh cuts to be found on Honors E.‘s State of the Art LP, scheduled for release February 22.

Last week, we lost one of the greatest blues/soul vocalists of all time: Etta James passed away after a long battle with leukemia. By way of tribute to the fallen musical icon, Norfolk, Virginia soul newcomer Shateish uses James’ 1968 classic, I’d Rather Go Blind, as the creative springboard for her own latest promo single, the similarly-themed I’m Leavin. Nottz cooks up an inspired blend of old-school soul and modern hip-hop influences, slicing and dicing samples from the original record over a punchier breakbeat. Over the heavyweight producer’s era-bridging backdrop, Shateish recounts her struggle to avoid the heartbreak described in Etta’s cut: “Something deep down in my soul says ‘cry,’ but I won’t let these tears fall / And I know that I should probably let you go, so seeing you with her won’t hurt me no more.” Through it all, she exhibits an arresting vocal style, imbuing the cut’s vintage melody with a dash of modern-day attitude. This heartfelt homage is, as mentioned above, just a promo single, but those feeling it can stay tuned to our front page for all the latest from the rising soul starlet.