Archive for April, 2010

Nelly’s Relative Murdered, "He Was Not My Bodyguard, He Was My Cousin & My Friend!"

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Grammy-winning rapper Nelly’s cousin, Michael Johnson, was murdered this week in Missouri after being fatally shot.

Styles P Bets The House On Floyd Mayweather

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Boxing fan Styles P chopped it up with SOHH to share his insight on tomorrow’s Floyd Mayweather, Jr. versus Shane Mosley fight and why he always bets the house on the trash-talking undefeated champion.

COMING SOON: VMS4… date and price set

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Having got the DJ world somewhat excited at the potential of a full 4 channel MIDI controller, American Audio have garnered a huge amount of attention for their eagerly anticipated VMS4. But one thorny issue has been the software that powers it. But this has been resolved, and in some ways makes it even more versatile now. VirtualDJ LE is now the software of choice and now offers a degree of video capability at a near entry level price. UPDATE: Image added.

Eminem – Not Afraid

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Eminem

What do Amy Winehouse, Tiger Woods, and Nicole Richie all have in common? That’s right – they’re all Eminem fans, and, like most of us, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say they’re addicted to Mr. Mathers’ rhymes. But who would want to quit? Especially now that Eminem is done relapsing, is working on his “recovery” and is Not Afraid to talk about his own struggle with addiction (we can only hope Ms. Winehouse someday follows suit). Over Boi-1da’s minimalist beat and a sheet of airy melodies that scream “I’m back” louder than T.I.’s last Booth feature, Em holds back just a little from the unbridled aggression that has become a hallmark of his recent undertakings and gets personal. After speaking about his achievements, place in the game, family values and of course his sobriety, Eminem uses the hook to try to uplift others who may be finding themselves in a similarly dark place. Not Afraid is the first single off Eminem’s forthcoming album Relapse 2 Recovery, set to drop June 22. Be sure to mark your calendars.

Drake – Find Your Love

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Find Your Love

Here’s how it works. Drake announces he’s releasing a new track, we all stare at our computer screens like porn addicts waiting for it to arrive, and once it does we dissect it like surgeons. That was the case for Over, and it will certainly be the case for Drizzy’s latest effort, Find Your Love. Produced by Kanye West, who essentially gives Drake a 808s & Heartbreak beat to work over, plus or minus some piano and orchestration, the real story here is, of course, Drake’s vocals. That’s right, I said vocals. Find Your Love is entirely rhyme-free. Drake spends the entire track softly crooning, and the result is a song that’s sure to make hardcore hip-hop heads hurl, and teenage girls cry as they stare longingly at the Drake posters in their bedroom. (Hint: Find Your Love’s targeted more at the latter demographic than the former.) Will the Booth find love in their hearts for Aubrey’s latest effort? Will his debut album Thank Me Later (due out in June) be able to live up to the hype? We’ll find out soon.

Download Find Your Love at RefinedHype.com!

Hollywood Floss – Sparks When My Pen Starts

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Sparks When My Pen Starts

The 163rd entry in our DJBooth.net Freestyle Series comes courtesy of Hollywood FLOSS, the Houston native who earned reader approval for Mr. Big Stuff back in late March. On his brand new, exclusive Sparks When My Pen Starts freestyle, the Kwiet Riot Music Group rapper flows over an Orel Yoel/David Appleton-produced instrumental originally featured on Asher Roth‘s Lark on My Go Kart. Hollywood FLOSS is currently preparing for the May 3 release of his Xperiment Vol. 2 mixtape, which will be followed by debut studio album, House of Dreams. In addition, fans will be able to catch him on tour over the course of the summer.

Readers can download a copy of In the Booth (Volume 4), featuring exclusive freestyles 91 through 120, here! Volumes one, two and three are available for download here, here and here. Watch for Volume 5 to hit our front page in late May.

Goines ft. Arkansas Bo – Jim Brown [Premiere]

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Goines

Widely hailed as one of the finest professional athletes in American history, Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown serves as inspiration for the debut solo feature from Goines, the Southern emcee first glimpsed as one-half of rap duo Suga City. The first of three world premieres off his forthcoming, Booth-sponsored mixtape, this motivational jam finds the headilner channeling the sports legend’s peerless strength and agility as he laces the driving, brass-fortified boardwork of Mr. Sandman with plenty of braggadocio and trash talk, as well as some more serious reflections on race in America. On the middle verse, Goines is joined by none other than Suga City partner-in-rhyme (and freestyle series contributor) Arkansas Bo, who expresses his hope that music will educate future generations, not poison them. Does Goines do Jim Brown proud on this hard-hitting joint? If you think so, you won’t want to miss his Lead By Example – Leaders are Real People 2 street album when it hits our front page on May 19.

M.i. – Time

Friday, April 30th, 2010

M.i

So much to listen to, so little Time… Fortunately, you’ve got DJBooth.net to help you decide what music is worth your while. With that said, those who choose to give M.i‘s first feature a listen are guaranteed to find those few minutes well-spent. Here, the Austin native give his soon-to-be fans a taste of his musical versatility, cooking up a summery, guitar-driven instrumental backdrop (complete with maracas) for his own laid-back musings on life, love, and his ongoing efforts to find that elusive “diamond in the rough” called “peace of mind.” As if his skills as an emcee and producer weren’t enough, he ties the whole package together with a mellow hook that’ll have listeners humming along long after the record is over. If you’re digging the easygoing style M.i showcases here, you can find plenty more on his latest street album, The Jack Johnson Sessions, released in March and available for free download right here.

Jermiside & Danny Diggs ft. Von Pea – Didn’t I Tell You

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Jermiside

Didn’t I Tell You that emcee Jermiside and producer Danny Diggs ain’t nothing to play with? Oh, I didn’t? And this is their first Booth feature? Well, consider yourself told. On this new single off the dynamic duo’s forthcoming collaborative album, the Vancouver beatsmith slices and dices a smooth soul sample into a head-nodding old-school instrumental as the Cincinnati-raised, ATL-based rhymesayer mixes braggadocio with vivid lyrical imagery, touting his mic skills while effortlessly cutting the “doubters” and dream drowners” down to size. Topped off with the guest bars of an equally talented underground mainstay, Tanya Morgan member Von Pea, this single should be just the thing to grab the attention of lyrical heads with a taste for the retro. If you like what you’re hearing, you can find Didn’t I Tell You and much more on Jermiside and Danny Diggs’ Middle Classic LP, set to hit stores and online retailers May 25, via HiPNOTT Records.

Kelly Rowland – Commander

Friday, April 30th, 2010

Kelly Rowland

Dance hits have been creating a mess on the charts lately. From Ke$ha’s Tik Tok to Akon’s Sexy B*tch, one thing has remained the same: uptempo production. Kelly Rowland’s new record, Commander, seems like it also has the potential to burn up the charts, and have people burning up the dance floor. Rowland has inked a new deal with Universal Motown and Commander is set to be the first single on her currently untitled, upcoming album. The David Guetta-produced jam will definitely have dancers fist-pumping in their favorite Jersey Shore re-enactment. Vocally Kelly delivers a performance that marries Guetta’s production perfectly, and also working in its favor is the fact that Commander was penned by Rico Love. Yes, the same Rico Love who recently wrote Dirty Money’s smash Hello Good Morning. All that adds up to a song that can easily serve as theme music while you’re pre-gaming with your friends or going to your favorite club. But will it get the DJBooth moving? Comment away.