Hip-Hop Wired » mos def

Fat Joe ft. Kanye West, Miguel, Jadakiss, DJ Khaled, Mos Def, Roscoe Dash & Busta Rhymes – "Pride & Joy" [LISTEN/DOWNLOAD]

Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz) — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:30:40 +0000

Back when Fat Joe and Kanye West were seen chumming it up on Instagram, it looks like this was the result of it. This one is a heater. Get a listen to "Pride & Joy," after the jump and don't mind the bombs.

Update: That is Roscoe Dash on the hook, not Miguel.

Update: It actually is Miguel and Roscoe Dash on the hook, plus a platoon of rappers to drown him out.

Download: Fat Joe Feat. Kanye West, Miguel, Jadakiss, DJ Khaled, Mos Def, & Busta Rhymes – "Pride & Joy"

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• D'Angelo Tells GQ Mag That J Dilla Inspired Him To Clean Up His Act [PHOTOS]

• Drake Tour & Afterparty Pics With French Montana, Meek Mill, 2 Chainz & More [PHOTOS]

• 10 Rappers In The 40 & Over Club That Still Got The Glow

• Bout to Blow: 7 Hip-Hop Labels Accused Of Being Fronts For Illegal Drug Operations

• 6 Rappers Who Lied About Retiring From The Game

• Mercy: 10 Hip-Hop Artists Who Chose To Die Another Day

• 10 Dope Rap Acts Who Could Not Top Their Freshman Albums

• The Awkward Moments Between Jay-Z And Freeway At The Made In America Press Conference [PHOTOS]

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) – "Bey" [LISTEN]

Alvin aqua Blanco — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:05:22 +0000

Yasiin Bey drops "Bey," his take on Lil Wayne's "John," as a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G.'s born day as well as Malcolm X's birthday (May 19th). This latest cut from the former Mos Def is the second installment of his Top 40 Underdog series. Seems like Bey will drop tracks from said series whenever the spirit moves him considering the first, "Ni**as In Poorest," dropped back in January.

Plenty of the agile wordplay mixed with doses of righteousness we have come to expect from the Boogieman. Listen to "Bey," spotted at Hypetrak, down below.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• Bout to Blow: 7 Hip-Hop Labels Accused Of Being Fronts For Illegal Drug Operations

• Jay-Z, Kanye West (& Kim Kardashian) Kick Off European Leg Of Watch The Throne Tour [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

• 6 Rappers Who Lied About Retiring From The Game

• Mercy: 10 Hip-Hop Artists Who Chose To Die Another Day

• 5 Reasons Why Blue Ivy Carter Will Have A Better Rap Career Than Lil B

• 10 Dope Rap Acts Who Could Not Top Their Freshman Albums

• Bangin Candy: Rico Love's Division 1 Recording Artist, Rabbit

• The Awkward Moments Between Jay-Z And Freeway At The Made In America Press Conference [PHOTOS]

Photo: Yasiin Bey

tabi Bonney ft. Yasiin Bey (produced by Ski Beatz) - "Chop Chop" [LISTEN/DOWNLOAD]

Alvin aqua Blanco — Mon, 14 May 2012 19:50:43 +0000

DC area rapper tabi Bonney drops a new joint called "Chop Chop" featuring Brooklyn rapper/actor Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def). Ski Beatz provides the funky, pan drum flipping beat and the song is off Bonney's forthcoming The Endless Summer project.

The Endless Summer will be available for free.99 on May 17th and is entirely produced by Ski. Listen to and download "Chop Chop" below. Also, peep tabi Bonney's video for "Castle On A Cloud," featuring Terri Walker, and also produced by Ski, on the next page.

--
Photo: YouTube

?uestlove, Black Thought & Yasiin Bey Featured Artists For 2012 NYC Blue Note Jazz Festival

D.L. Chandler — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:45:16 +0000

Celebrated Hip-Hop veterans ?uestlove and Black Thought of The Roots and the rapper formerly known as Mos Def, Yasiin Bey, will all bolster the second annual NYC Blue Note Jazz Festival lineup beginning on June 10. The three-week festival will feature an abundance of notable artists spanning generations and genres throughout separate venues in the city.

“After an extraordinarily successful first year, the Blue Note Jazz Festival will return from June 10 – 30, 2012 with over fifty shows throughout New York City,” read a statement found on the festival's website. “The 2012 Festival will feature numerous high-profile international and local acts such as McCoy Tyner, Bela Fleck, Soulive, Buika, Kathleen Battle, Groove Theory, Stanley Clarke & George Duke, Michel Camilo, Cassandra Wilson, ?questlove, Jack DeJohnette, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Scott, Black Thought & Rahzel with Strings and many more.”

Black Thought will be performing alongside beatboxing wizard Rahzel under the name Riq and Rah for free on June 17 at the Central Park Summerstage at 6 p.m. Joining the pair on the same stage will be R&B mainstays Groove Theory and funk/jazz band Soulive. Yasiin Bey is slated to take the stage at the legendary Apollo Theater a week later on June 29 at 9 p.m. Former Roots collaborators The JazzyFatNastees and famed jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson are also part of the Blue Note line up.

For more information, click here.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• DJ Khaled's Tour Bus Explodes [PHOTOS]

• Lil Wayne Covers CCS Skateboarding Magazine [PHOTOS/VIDEO]

• 10 Reasons Why Kanye West And Kim Kardashian Won't Last

• 9 Very Rare Looks At Athletes Doing Lil B's Cooking Dance

• Nike LeBron 9 P.S. Elite ‘Varsity Maize' & 'South Beach' Official Images [PHOTOS]

• Polo Ralph Lauren Team USA Closing Ceremony Uniforms For London 2012 Olympics [PHOTOS]

• Bangin Candy: Miss Apple Bottom Jessenia Vice [PHOTOS]

• Wired 25: The 25 Most Important People In Hip-Hop Under 25

• UPS Is Hiring: 9 Signs You Are A Struggle Rapper

Photo: Mr. Mass

The 10 Most Abused Freestyle Beats Of The Last Ten Years

Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:46:49 +0000

Every year, it seems like there is one song that drops that sets the genre on its ear. Whether it is something fresh and new, something catchy, or something just different, rappers love thinking they can do a better job than you. Ever since the abuse that Lil' Wayne's "A Milli" went through, it is now a rite of passage for your song to get put through the ringer of rappers trying to prove they're worthy of the track's hotness. So much so that some producers like Just Blaze absolutely refuse to release their instrumentals for the fear of the 808 goodness falling into the wrong struggle rapper. Let's take a look back at such cases as we remember some of the most abused instrumentals of the last 10 years.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• Wiz Khalifa Buys $900K Home In Pittsburgh Suburb [PHOTOS]

• T.I. & Iggy Azalea Party At The Gold Room In Atlanta [PHOTO]

• Crack A Bottle: 15 Artists Who Have Had Beverages Hurled At Them While Performing [VIDEO]

• LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire & More Rock Hoodies For Trayvon Martin [PHOTOS]

• It Was All Good: 10 Artists That Were Buzzing Last Year, Not So Much Now

• Stop The Madness: 10 Tragic Killings Eerily Similar To Trayvon Martin's

• Just Because: 10 Hilarious Rick Ross GIFs [PHOTOS]

• Women's History Month: The 13 Greatest Female MCs Of All Time

• Hip-Hop Wired Presents: A Tribute To Radio Rants

Photo: Just Blaze

50 Cent & Rick Ross Will Perform At The Same Show This Summer

Kazeem Famuyide (@RealLifeKaz) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 17:49:56 +0000

Drake will headline the star studded Open Air Frauenfeld festival in Switzerland along with Hip-Hop heavyweights, Nas, J.Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Mac Miller and more. However, the very interesting part of this lineup is that both Rick Ross and 50 Cent will also be on the bill together. The two rappers have had plenty of history and beef with each other for the better part of the last half of a decade.

The Open Air Frauenfeld, which was created in 1985, is the biggest open air festival in Switzerland. The event has had huge stars in the past and are set to host over 100,000 Hip-Hop fans. This year's fest goes down 6th to 8th July, 2012. For the full line up, check the flier below and for information on tickets click here.

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• Jay-Z & Kanye West's “Otis” Maybach Sold For $60K [PHOTOS]

• Get A J.R. Smith's-Eye View Of Tahiry From The Bedroom [PHOTOS]

• Kanye West's Nike Air Yeezy 2 Release Date [PHOTOS]

• Get Off The Boo Boo: 7 Things Rappers Make Look Cool (That Really Are Not)

• 10 Rappers To Help Rihanna Get Over Chris Brown

• Bangin' Candy: Drake's Ex-Flame & Twitter Buddy Maliah Michel [PHOTOS]

• That Was Me First: 10 Rappers That Made Hip-Hop History

• The Top 10 Hip-Hop Sneakers Of All-Time

Photo: Jonathan Mannion

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) Performs J Dilla Produced 'Sunshine Screwface' [VIDEO]

Alvin aqua Blanco — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 19:30:13 +0000

Yasiin Bey (aka Mos Def) over a Dilla track? Yes please.

While out in Paris, France, the Mighty Mos Def (yeah, we still call Mr. Bey that) performed a song called "Sunshine Screwface" and it sounds like a winner. From the same interview where the Brooklyn MC and actor performed "Ni**as In Poorest," his take on The Throne's "Ni**as In Paris." There is also a vid of Mos kicking a "Quiet Dog" freestyle, too.

Watch all three clips, spotted at Potholes In My Blog via Mr. Mass, below.

"Ni**as In Poorest"

"Quiet Dog" Freestyle

MORE ON HIP-HOP WIRED!

• Kanye West's Fall/Winter 2012 Collection [PHOTOS]

• Tahiry's Smooth Magazine Spread [PHOTOS]

• Behind The Scenes Of The 2012 XXL Freshman Cover [PHOTOS]

• Diddy & Shyne: 'Ni**as In Paris - Bad Boy Edition' [PHOTOS]

• Bangin' Candy: Meet Joe Budden's New Wifey Dazzle [Photos]

• Fat Joe Bombs Lil Wayne's Crib, With Graffiti [Photos]

• That Was Me First: 10 Rappers That Made Hip-Hop History

• The Top 10 Hip-Hop Sneakers Of All-Time

Photo: Mr. Mass

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) - "Ni**as In Poorest" [Video]

Alvin aqua Blanco — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:35:57 +0000

The dope MC formerly known as the Mighty Mos Def drops a video for "Ni**as In Poorest." The song is a re-interpretation of The Throne's "Ni**as In Paris" and the righteous clip was directed by Mr. Bey & $et Free and produced & edited by Andre Cole. The track will be appearing on his upcoming 'Top 40 Underdog' project.

The video was released today in honor of the anniversary of Malcolm X's death.

"Doctors say I'm the illest, I ain't got no insurance..."

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) To Star In ‘Jackie Brown' Prequel Flick

D.L. Chandler — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:56:35 +0000

Yasiin Bey, the former Mos Def, will soon be back in front of cameras reprising a role made infamous by fellow thespian Samuel L. Jackson in the 1997 Quentin Taratino vehicle Jackie Brown. Bey will play a younger version of Jackson's Ordell Robbie character in the upcoming prequel flick Switch from writer-director Dan Schechter, reports say.

Bey will be joined by Academy Award-nominated actor John Hawkes (Deadwood, Winter's Bone) who will take on the role of Louis Gara, previously helmed by Robert De Niro. Switch will take place 15 years prior to the events of Jackie Brown where Ordell and Louis shortly continue an alliance of crime just after being released from prison for auto theft.

Switch is based off the Elmore Leonard novel The Switch, similar to Tarantino's adaption of the Leonard book Rum Punch which formed the basis for Jackie Brown. If the plot follows the book, Switch will possibly feature some of the same tense drama much like the preceding film.

Filming is said to start in May of this year according to a Variety magazine report with a still undetermined release date of 2013. Bey recently starred in the Showtime murder drama Dexter in the role of complex criminal turned spiritual leader Brother Sam.

Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) On Black Star Reunion, Upcoming 'Top 40 Underdog' Project

D.L. Chandler — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Considered one of Hip-Hop's most talented representatives, Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) has enjoyed a robust career that has shown little in the way of a slowdown. Rejoining with fellow Brooklyn bomber Talib Kweli under the Black Star group banner, Yasiin Bey is now undertaking a new side musical project called 'Top 40 Underdog' with an aim that matches the socially poignant rapper's flair for the provocative.

Speaking with Hypebeast, Bey revealed the impetus behind his upcoming 'Top 40 Underdog' project and what he hopes to achieve as a result of the music, which is simply Bey's take on modern day rap hits such as the recently released “Ni**gas In Poorest,” a redo of The Throne's “Ni**as In Paris”

“The tradition, taking someone's song and making your version of out of it, is not new to hip-hop,” said Bey. “It is similar to dancehall music, where there one rhythm and many artists offer their interpretation of it.”

Bey vaguely revealed some of the themes that will be present on Top 40 Underdog as well. “Regarding the content on the Top 40 Underdog, I cannot open up too much on it, but let's say it will not be just about reinterpreting or even re-appropriating modern day hits,” shared Bey. “It will deal with a range of various subjects, covering socially conscious and political themes since it is a staple in my life and an expression of who I am.”

Rap fans have been salivating at the news of the Black Star reunion, especially after the well-received, Madlib produced “Fix Up” track. Bey said the album is on the way but fans will need to exercise patience.

“We are in the studio all the time and we will continue putting out songs on a regular basis,” said Bey. “I appreciate the anticipation. Making an album is very time consuming and requires lots of energy. So yea, we are on the road and in the studio and we hope to get it out as soon as possible.”