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On Barrel Brothers, a cut off 2007’s Big Doe Rehab, Wu-Tang heavyweight Ghostface hooked up with Beanie Sigel and Styles P. to craft a hard-hitting street banger for the ages. Three years later, beatsmith !llmind and B.K. phenom Skyzoo have stepped into the Booth with Barrel Brothers, a cut which is… well, pretty much unrelated, aside from the title and the fact that it features dope Northeastern rappers coming together over gritty, retro-informed production. But hey, what more could a hardcore head ask for? This standout album inclusion finds !ll serving up a stark instrumental with a dash of sampled soul as ‘zoo drops bars so packed with allusions and double-meanings that, even if I could pick a favorite line, I’d be hard-pressed to pin it down in quotes. Coney Island representative Torae bobs and weaves right along with him, peppering the beat with a more digestible but equally stimulating brand of lyrical fire. Barrel Brothers can be heard on Skyzoo and !llmind’s Live From the Tapedeck LP, set to drop October 5. In the meantime, keep it locked for the collaborators’ Booth-exclusive “In the Mix” interview, set to hit our front page soon!

It’s been almost four months since we’ve heard new music from Star Trak affiliates and The Decadence creators Christian Rich – who for the record are comprised of twin brothers Kehinde “Rich” Hassan and Taiwo “Christian” Hassan and are not “that Christian Rich dude” – so fans eager to get some lush boardwork back into their lives should be more than a little excited to hear the duo’s brand new single Say My Name. True to form, on My Name Rich craft an electro based beat that somehow manages to be simultaneously stimulating and mellowed out, a sonic background that vocalist Colin Munroe (fresh off his Booth approved Prince cover I Would Die 4 U) is more than comfortable operating in. The result? Yet another entrancing record guaranteed to please the ladies, and the guys intent on pleasing them. Those that missed out the first time around should cop The Decadence right now, as well as keep an eye out for their upcoming album The Arcade, which will “most likely” include Say My Name. Keep it locked for more details

Does mo’ money really equal mo’ problems? The Beatles would certainly have agreed with Biggie‘s famous thesis, judging by the richer-than-God rock legends’ cash-related complaints on joints like Taxman and You Never Give Me Your Money. Though inspired by the latter cut, Miami crew Think Tank‘s Gimme Your Money is focused more on the struggles of artists with less currency than they’d like. Backed by Llamabeats’ chopped rendition of the Abbey Road classic, rappers Spits (a member of Llamabeats along with producer The What’s Good and guitarist Mister Fader) and Parable deliver a litany of familiar gripes – impatient landlords, nagging girlfriends, nine-to-five drudgery – in a fresh, entertaining fashion. And they don’t lose sight of the big picture; on verse two, Parable announces that he’s “…tired of the white-collar man with cigar in hand, duckin’ the government for taxes while kids in other countries keep on strugglin’ for rations.” If this joint leaves you hungry for more from Think Tank, you can look forward to a generous serving of Mashed Potatoes on November 2, when their new, Booth-sponsored project hits our mixtape page.

How do you follow up an album like Epiphany, the 2009 sophomore set that earned Chrisette Michele a place of honor in both the Billboard charts and critics’ hearts? Simple: you aim even higher! Recognizing that her only limit is the sky, the soul songstress goes for broke on the lead single off her junior album, announcing to the world, “Baby I’m a Star tonight.” As on last year’s reader-acclaimed What You Do, songwriting and production fall to the dynamic duo of (respectively) Ne-Yo and Chuck Harmony; the end result, though, has a more pop-friendly, upbeat vibe befitting the victorious lyrical theme. Harmony’s tuneful piano chords and clattering, cutlery-esque percussion set the stage for a timeless tale of triumph over adversity, delivered with all the smooth vocal muscle fans have come to expect. The gritty determination and “I’ma do me” philosophy Chrisette Michele showcases here are sure to serve her well in the music game, but does this light and airy offering bode well for her latest set? If you think so, you’ll want to mark your calendars for the November 30, release of Let Freedom Reign.

Thus far in 2010, Jim Jones has kept a relatively low Booth profile, surfacing only for Dipset reunion cut Salute and the odd guest appearance. So, what’s the self-proclaimed “King of Harlem” been up to for the last nine months or so? Getting high, of course! Oh, and working on a brand new album. Heralding the project’s arrival is freshly-released single Blow Your Smoke, a slow-rolling affair which finds Jones enjoying a leisurely, weed-enhanced drive through the city streets. Frequent Starrs & Murph collaborator araabMUZIK mans the boards, cooking up a dreamy, synth-laced instrumental sure to please the smokers (as well as those who prefer to vibe out without chemical assistance). Fittingly, Jones’ verses find him in mellower form than usual. “Relaxed” might be an overstatement, though – keeping a wary eye out for cops or lawbreakers who might try and ruin his good time, he admits: “I stay strapped case a n*gga might run up.” So, readers, will you be flipping this one on at your next smoking session (or, for those who don’t partake… um… yoga class)? Those digging it should stay tuned for the latest leading up to the November arrival of Capo, the artist’s fifth full-length.

Months after the passing of rap pioneer Guru, an ex-member of his Jazzmatazz band has come forward to speak out against the legend’s producer, Solar, and accuse him of physical abuse.

G-Unit’s Lloyd Banks and rap veteran Nas will reportedly have their differences placed aside to exchange bars on an upcoming collaboration track.

[With the new release of No Gravity, Barbados R&B singer Shontelle gives the Top 5 reasons to support her LP.]

Hip-Hop veteran LL Cool J has once again been nominated as a candidate for the 2011 class of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Hip-Hop vanguard Ice Cube is back to reclaim his spot as one of the West Coast’s most revered rhyme spitters with his ninth solo album, I Am The West.